Greens flay use of Kaval land for onion cultivation

Environmentalists have charged that government departments have allowed cultivation of onion on Basooru Kaval land though it has been declared as a community conservation area.

The security personnel at Kaval are engaged in cultivating onion illegally. The issue has been brought to the notice of the Forest Department and the Department of Animal Husbandry. In spite of it, no action has been taken to protect the Kaval land, Bhadra Wildlife Protection Trust Managing Trustee D V Girish, Sridev Hulikere of Wild Cat-C and environmentalists G Veeresh and S Girijashankar have alleged.

They said, "Now, the onion has been harvested which clearly reveals that the government departments had issued permission to the security personnel to cultivate the onion on the Kaval land orally in an indirect way. We have this suspicion."

"Basooru Kaval and Amritmahal Kaval are grasslands which are known for Blackbucks and various species of birds. The grasslands should not be used for non-forest activities," Girish said.

They said non-forest activities have been allowing on the Kaval land for several years. The environmental organisations have brought this to the notice of the departments. The security personnel have been allowed to grow food crops like Ragi and Jowar for livelihood purpose. But they have misused this and have cultivated onion, a commercial crop, they charged.

The environmentalists urged the authorities to take action against those who have cultivated onion on the Kaval land.