Concerns raised over proposal to build tribal village close to Brahmagiri wildlife sanctuary

Bengaluru: The state government's move to build a village for tribals in the buffer zone of Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary in Virajpet has raised questions over their safety besides concerns over fueling of wildlife conflicts.

The land in survey number 147 of Teralu village, Hudikeri hobli of Ponnampet taluk belongs to the Revenue Department. However, it is located about 100 metres from the Brahmagiri sanctuary. As per the documents, the government has mutated 20 acres in favour of Project coordinator, Integrated Tribal Development Project.

The then Virajpet Deputy Conservator of Forests had in 2017 written to the deputy commissioner of Kodagu, noting that any effort to take up construction work would require clearances from the buffer zone management committee. As per the Union government's notification, the buffer zone in the area was up to 1 km from the boundary of the Brahmagiri sanctuary.

More than 570 families belonging to four tribes have been demanding the government to provide them housing facilities. They had set up huts in Diddahalli forest, close to Devamachi Reserve Forest in the Thithimathi range of Virajpet division in December 2016. They were evicted by the officials in what activists describe as a 'ham-handed' operation. In the years since, the government has failed to rehabilitate many of the families.

An activist in Madikeri said the government has neglected the issue of rehabilitation of tribals, which has led to encroachment. "The more they delay, the more problems the government will face," the activist said.

However, a conservationist noted that rehabilitating the tribals in the heart of a wildlife habitat would do them disservice. "Though it is very important to build housing facilities for tribals, it is equally important to provide them land that is safe and does result in human-elephant conflict. Coorg is already reeling under severe human-elephant conflict and will see increased conflict if new housing is built in this area," he said.