<p>The state government appears to have realised the importance of shola forests finally. It has proposed to allot Rs 5 crore for taking up survey of Shola forests in the state.</p>.<p>Even though the Karnataka Forest department was expecting more allocation, nevertheless the officials are happy about the conservation announcements made in the budget.</p>.<p>“We are fast losing out on the shola forest patches in our Western Ghats as they have been increasingly granted to people by the Revenue department. These patches may look small but have a greater capacity to retain water for long. In fact, these forest patches release water to streams and rivers in summer. Hence we had requested for the protection of these forests,” a senior IFS officer revealed.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-budget-2020-highlights-govt-will-soon-start-work-on-bengaluru-suburban-rail-service-810563.html" target="_blank">Get all the Karnataka Budget 2020 Highlights here</a></strong></p>.<p>The Karnataka Bio-Diversity Board has also led a delegation to the chief minister seeking conservation of such landscape. While the allocation to Forest department has more or less remained the same compared to the previous year, what has left the officials worried is the considerable increase in the wages of the labourers who form 30% to 40% the grass-root workforce (forest watchers and contract labourers) of the forest department.</p>.<p> “The wages of these labourers have shot up by 50% to 60% and we had expected additional funds for payment of their honorarium in the budget. Considering that there is no such extra allocation, we cannot take up any fresh work but to attend to spillover works of previous years,” explained another senior officer of the Forest department.</p>.<p>A conservation activist from Ramanagara said that allocation of Rs 2 crore for setting up of vulture breeding centre would help in reviving the long-billed vulture population which is on the list of extinction. Allocation of Rs one crore for setting up of marine eco-park in Uttara Kannada district has also brought cheers among the coastal eco-system conservationists as it would help Karnataka build a repository of its own marine wealth and find a place at the global level. </p>
<p>The state government appears to have realised the importance of shola forests finally. It has proposed to allot Rs 5 crore for taking up survey of Shola forests in the state.</p>.<p>Even though the Karnataka Forest department was expecting more allocation, nevertheless the officials are happy about the conservation announcements made in the budget.</p>.<p>“We are fast losing out on the shola forest patches in our Western Ghats as they have been increasingly granted to people by the Revenue department. These patches may look small but have a greater capacity to retain water for long. In fact, these forest patches release water to streams and rivers in summer. Hence we had requested for the protection of these forests,” a senior IFS officer revealed.</p>.<p><strong><a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/karnataka-budget-2020-highlights-govt-will-soon-start-work-on-bengaluru-suburban-rail-service-810563.html" target="_blank">Get all the Karnataka Budget 2020 Highlights here</a></strong></p>.<p>The Karnataka Bio-Diversity Board has also led a delegation to the chief minister seeking conservation of such landscape. While the allocation to Forest department has more or less remained the same compared to the previous year, what has left the officials worried is the considerable increase in the wages of the labourers who form 30% to 40% the grass-root workforce (forest watchers and contract labourers) of the forest department.</p>.<p> “The wages of these labourers have shot up by 50% to 60% and we had expected additional funds for payment of their honorarium in the budget. Considering that there is no such extra allocation, we cannot take up any fresh work but to attend to spillover works of previous years,” explained another senior officer of the Forest department.</p>.<p>A conservation activist from Ramanagara said that allocation of Rs 2 crore for setting up of vulture breeding centre would help in reviving the long-billed vulture population which is on the list of extinction. Allocation of Rs one crore for setting up of marine eco-park in Uttara Kannada district has also brought cheers among the coastal eco-system conservationists as it would help Karnataka build a repository of its own marine wealth and find a place at the global level. </p>
