Industry on the prowl in BRT tiger reserve

The decision of the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) to hand over agriculture land for industrial purpose in the elephant corridor of the Biligirirangana Temple (BRT) Hills tiger reserve has come under criticism by environmentalists.

An industrial area is being developed by KIADB near Modahalli in Lokkanahalli hobli of Kollegal taluk. The area is cheek by jowl in the BRT tiger reserve.

 KIADB’s decision to acquire land near the Gundal reservoir for industrial purpose has led to the controversy.

 As many as 410.44 acres of land has been handed over by KIADB to Bannari Amman Sugar Company. Environmentalists point out that the said land is within a radius of just one km of the tiger reserve and is part of the elephant corridor. 

As per the Supreme Court order, non-forest activities cannot be taken up within a radius of 10 km of wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and tiger reserves, in a bid to prevent harm to wild animals.

The greens point out that setting up industries there would amount to violating the apex court order.

It is also necessary to get a no-objection certificate from the high-level committee of the National Wildlife Board (NWB) before taking up development work within the fixed boundaries of national parks. The committee has been formed on the direction of the Supreme Court.

Local forest officials have no power to sanction permission. Moreover, it is unlikely that the high-level committee of the NWB will give its nod. Workers of the said company have already started de-weeding the place using cranes. Also, it is alleged that the sugar company is trying to acquire more land than ‘permitted’.

The move is being met with stiff resistance from farmers who are not ready to part with fertile agriculture land.

The officials of the sugar company had sought a clarification from the forest department on whether an industry could be set up near the reserve forest.

Deputy Conservator of Forests R Ravishankar told Deccan Herald that it had been made clear to the company that no work could be undertaken without the nod of the high-level committee of the NWB.