Mangalore, Sep 20: Minister for Forests, Environment and Ecology B Ramanath Rai announced that the Karnataka Forests department had decided to conduct a survey for verification and demarcation of deemed forests in the state, using satellite imagery, which would be completed within a period of six months' time.
Briefing media persons at a press conference following a meeting of state-level forest officials here on Friday, he said that since there was no clear demarcation of deemed forest land in most districts due to which, it was difficult to protect the forest land from illegal encroachment and hence a survey would be conducted to avoid this.
œIn order to reduce man-animal conflict, the state government will provide 50 percent subsidy to those farmers who wish to install solar fences around their agricultural land or plantations to avoid being destroyed by wild animals like elephants, he said.
He said that a grant of Rs 212 crore has been sanctioned for restoring old railway tracks around areas close to human habitation, out of which Rs 50 crore had been released this year.
A committee has been formed headed by Principal Secretary to the Forests Department for the reorganisation of the department and shuffling of the posts. A special unit will be constituted to speed-up the process of allotting forest land for agriculture or public purposes. A new law in this regard should be brought into effect to achieve the same, he informed.
Rehabilitation of tribals living in forests
Mr Rai said that a special team would be formed under the Forests department to facilitate the rehabilitation of families living in the forest coming under the ambit of Kudremukh tiger reserve project. However, none of the families will be evicted from the forests forcibly, he said.
With regard to transfers of personnel in the Forests department, the minister said that field-level personnel such as forest watchers and guards would be transferred through counseling.
A mandatory evaluation of the social forestry register will be done for efficient implementation of programmes for conservation of environment and wildlife, he informed.
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