6 months after HC order, forest dept yet to get title of 1L ha in Shivamogga

More than six months after the high court directed the state government to mutate 1.08 lakh hectares of the notified forest in Shivamogga, officials are frustrated that there’s hardly any change on the ground as red tape and encroachments have turned into major hurdles.

The Shivamogga circle has a total of 3,61,229.86 hectares of notified forests. However, only 2,52,482.51 of the land was mutated in revenue (RTC) documents. Activist Girish Achar had asked the court to direct the authorities to mutate the remaining 1,08,747.35 hectares of forest area which was pending for decades.

Mutation, a formal recognition of the title of the land in the revenue records, is crucial as it allows the Forest Department to take steps against encroachment besides working on proactive measures like plantation aimed at conservation. Revenue authorities, especially those working at the assistant commissioner posts, have to ensure the mutation of the land.

In September, Achar sought information under the RTI Act to understand the impact of the high court order. The reply, however, showed that forest officials have an uphill task in getting titles to the notified forests.

The Kargal range officer said in the reply that of the 11,895.02 hectares of notified forests, 677.05 hectares were mutated between March 15 and September 30 this year. The Sagar division seemed to be a welcome exception as only 186.19 hectares of the 1,690.57 hectares were pending with the revenue department.

“Shivamogga has lost lush green forest to encroachment. We have not asked for additional land to develop forests but to give titles to the land that has already been notified as forests. The reply is disappointing and shows that even the high court order is not taken seriously by the officials. I will approach the court soon to move a contempt petition,” Achar told DH.

Shivamogga tops Karnataka with the highest extent of forest land under encroachment. A report from the Forest Department stated that 81,502.44 hectares of forest land were encroached upon. Chikkamagaluru is distant second with 30,641.11 hectares of forest area lost.

Sources in the department said moving files in the Revenue Department was a tedious process. “Once the court order came, we began collecting information from the range officers about the details of the land and survey numbers. Some of the documents have been forwarded to the assistant commissioners for processing. It’s a tedious process,” he said.

An official from the Bhadravati division said they had approached the revenue authorities to clear titles of the land parcels that are free from encroachment.

“We are prioritising the areas where there is no encroachment. Where persons have encroached, we have to initiate action under Section 64A of the Karnataka Forest Act and move the assistant commissioner’s court. That process may take years,” he explained.