Siravase and Suguduvani residents protest against Kasturirangan report

The residents of Siravase and Suguduvani staged a protest demanding to keep agricultural land, plantations, land identified for landless/siteless and habitations out of the purview of Ecologically Sensitive Zones (ESZ) as per the recommendations of Kasturirangan report on conservation of Western Ghats.

The protesters took out a rally from the taluk office to Azad Park Circle. They shouted slogans against Kasturirangan report. A memorandum was submitted to the deputy commissioner on the occasion.

The protesters said that Kasturirangan had conducted an unscientific survey.

All the areas that passes through Western Ghats have been identified as Ecologically Sensitive Zones. The recommendations did not take into account, habitations and agricultural land in the Western Ghats jurisdiction. If the recommendations are implemented then people will lose their livelihood.

Addressing the protesters, Jagara hobli Kannada Sahitya Parishat president Ravi Kelavase said that Kerala has been successful in keeping habitations, plantations and agricultural areas out of the purview of the Ecologically Sensitive Zones. The Karnataka government should come to the rescue of the farmers and planters.

He said as per the recommendations, 147 villages in five taluks of Chikkamagaluru district have been identified as Ecologically Sensitive Zones.

There are 27 villages in Chikkamagaluru, 32 in Koppa, 27 in Mudigere, 35 in NR Pura and 26 villages in Sringeri taluks, he added.