Forest Dept. asks organisers not to hold off-road activity in Kudremukh National Park area
The Range Forest Officer (RFO) of Kudremukh Wildlife Range in Chikkamagaluru district has asked organisers of an off-road activity, proposed at locations including Kudremukh Park
The Range Forest Officer (RFO) of Kudremukh Wildlife Range in Chikkamagaluru district has asked organisers of an off-road activity, proposed at locations including Kudremukh Park this weekend, to refrain from holding the event. In a communique to the organisers, the RFO said promotional posters for off-road activities at various locations, including areas up to Kudremukh Park, on August 15 and 16, had come to his notice. “Kudremukh Park is a protected area under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and it is reiterated that no permission has been granted by the competent authorities to the organisers of the event, or any affiliated organisation, to conduct such activity within the Park.
No permission shall be accorded for any off-roading or allied adventure activity within the boundaries of the protected area, given its ecological sensitivity,” the officer said. He further cautioned organisers, participants and the public that any unauthorised entry or activity within Kudremukh Park would attract punitive action under the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. This may include seizure and impounding of vehicles, tools and machinery used, besides initiation of criminal proceedings against organisers and participants.
The publicised off-road activities in parts of Koppa and Kudremukh had drawn the ire of environmentalists in the district, who had appealed to the district administration and the Forest Department to stop such activities in the interest of local flora and fauna. However, the organisers of similar activity at Alageshwara in Koppa taluk, are expected to go ahead with their plan as the location does not fall under forest limits.
Officers of the department said they had no authority to stop the activity since the location was outside their jurisdiction.
The BriefWire