NGO demands details of land encroachment in Western Ghats

Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF), a non-governmental organisation, has urged the state government to give details of land encroached upon by members of the public in the Western Ghats.

As per a report submitted to the government in 2007 by the Joint Legislature Committee, approximately 1,65,796 acres of forest land, including 1,04,497 acres in the ecologically sensitive zone of Western Ghats, has been encroached upon. These encroachments are mainly in Belagavi and Chikkamagaluru districts.

V Balasubramanian, chairman, Task Force for Recovery of Public Land and its Protection Committee, has reported that an estimated 27,336 acres of land has been illegally encroached upon in Bengaluru Urban district. The government, however, claims that it has reclaimed only 15,833 acres of land in the BBMP limits. The details of the remaining 11,503 acres are not available, Sridhar Pabbisetty, CEO, Namma Bengaluru Foundation, said and urged the government to provide the information.

The organisation claims the land reclaimed by the government will benefit the rich, not the poor. It also sought action against officials who facilitated the encroachments. The value of this land is estimated at Rs 4 lakh crore.

DH News Service