<p>Bengaluru: The Forest Department on Thursday recovered 300 acres of the Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary at Tiptur sub division in Sira Taluk, Tumkur district.</p><p>Issuing a statement on the recovery in Bengaluru, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre stated that the lands in survey number 46 of Muttugadahalli Ambarapura were notified as forests by the Maharaja of Mysore back in 1926. </p><p>Of the 300 acres, 209 acres was encroached while the remaining land was leased to the Horticulture Department.</p> .<p>The 136.11 sq km sanctuary was notified in 2019 as a measure to protect the chinkaras (Indian gazelle) in their natural habitat of the dry thorny scrub forest, which faced the threat of excessive grazing. Apart from Chinkaras, the sanctuary is home to black bucks, four-horned antelope, sloth bear, leopard, striped hyena and Indian wolf. </p><p>The Forest Department had recently proposed the ecological restoration of the sanctuary at a cost of Rs 44.16 crore.</p> .<p>However, the minister said, the land was illegally granted to some persons while several others had encroached it. "The department had taken the matter to the high court of Karnataka where it received the orders to protect the forest land. As the revenue officials failed to cancel the illegal grants, a complaint was also lodged with the Lokayukta. </p><p>"Following the Lokayukta direction, officials have executed mutation of the land for the Forest Department. We have now removed the encroachments," he said.</p><p>Khandre appealed to the officials and people to steer clear of any land that has been notified as a forest. Officials and people should realise that unless diverted as per the procedure laid down in the Forest (Conservation) Act, a land once notified as forest cannot be used for non-forest activities, he added.</p>
<p>Bengaluru: The Forest Department on Thursday recovered 300 acres of the Bukkapatna Chinkara Wildlife Sanctuary at Tiptur sub division in Sira Taluk, Tumkur district.</p><p>Issuing a statement on the recovery in Bengaluru, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre stated that the lands in survey number 46 of Muttugadahalli Ambarapura were notified as forests by the Maharaja of Mysore back in 1926. </p><p>Of the 300 acres, 209 acres was encroached while the remaining land was leased to the Horticulture Department.</p> .<p>The 136.11 sq km sanctuary was notified in 2019 as a measure to protect the chinkaras (Indian gazelle) in their natural habitat of the dry thorny scrub forest, which faced the threat of excessive grazing. Apart from Chinkaras, the sanctuary is home to black bucks, four-horned antelope, sloth bear, leopard, striped hyena and Indian wolf. </p><p>The Forest Department had recently proposed the ecological restoration of the sanctuary at a cost of Rs 44.16 crore.</p> .<p>However, the minister said, the land was illegally granted to some persons while several others had encroached it. "The department had taken the matter to the high court of Karnataka where it received the orders to protect the forest land. As the revenue officials failed to cancel the illegal grants, a complaint was also lodged with the Lokayukta. </p><p>"Following the Lokayukta direction, officials have executed mutation of the land for the Forest Department. We have now removed the encroachments," he said.</p><p>Khandre appealed to the officials and people to steer clear of any land that has been notified as a forest. Officials and people should realise that unless diverted as per the procedure laid down in the Forest (Conservation) Act, a land once notified as forest cannot be used for non-forest activities, he added.</p>