Joint survey in Nagarahole triggers concerns over illegal claims

Officials clarify that survey is being conducted as per apex court order.

Bengaluru: A survey to relook into the applications for rights over forest land rejected more than 10 years ago has led to former foresters and activists expressing concern over the political pressure leading to illegal land grants in the critically sensitive tiger habitat.

Under the Forest Rights Act, members of the several tribal communities were allowed individual and community rights for lands which they occupied and cultivated before December 13, 2005. Many such applications in the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve were rejected by the Sub-Divisional Level Committees (SDLC) and District Level Committee.

However, in February 2019, the Supreme Court ordered the state governments to relook into the rejected applications. The apex court also suggested Forest Survey of India to conduct a satellite survey of the encroachment, which would also verify the eligibility. The court is set to hear the matter again on April 2.

Meanwhile, in Nagarahole, forest and revenue authorities began joint surveys in June 2024 to relook into hundreds of rejected applications. The claims made by these applications included swampy grasslands ('hadlus'), whose services like flood management, provision of fresh water and fodder for animals play a major role in the ecosystem.

Retired Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) B K Singh, however, wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah last week stating that the hadlus were never occupied by the applicants. "I had personally carried out visits to several hadlus in Nagarahole on January 28, 2011 and had found that none of these hadlus were in occupation," he said.

Singh said a joint survey carried out also showed that there was "no proof of agriculture being practiced" in the hadlus as claimed by the applicants.

He noted that any further disturbance in the tiger reserve will have a direct impact on conservation and lead to escalation of human wildlife conflict. "Apart from severely affecting plantations and those growing paddy, it will directly put the lives of poor forest dwellers in grave danger since Nagarahole is a high-density habitat for elephants, gaur and tigers," he said.

Nagarahole Deputy Conservator of Forests and Director Seema P A told DH that the joint survey has been taken up as part of the procedure. "The SDLC committee is conducting the joint survey as per the procedure. We will submit our report along with all the details, including satellite maps, to present the facts to the district level committee," she said.

A senior official clarified that hadlu lands were also being surveyed because of the claims. "Claims for about 345 acres of hadlu land in Brahmagiri range and 270 acres in Nagarahole range were rejected previously. Due to the Supreme Court's direction, such applications are being verified and a joint survey is being conducted," he added.

Sources in the department said Nagarahole continues to face pressure due to the political support enjoyed by encroachers. "It is true that some of those who voluntarily relocated require support. However, their case is being misused by vested interests to fuel encroachments," the source said.