Retired IFS officer: People displaced by Sharavathi project still fighting to claim ownership of land they cultivated
The people displaced owing to the Sharavathi dam project were “dumped” on vacant lands, which they then cultivated for decades, and yet do not have
The people displaced owing to the Sharavathi dam project were “dumped” on vacant lands, which they then cultivated for decades, and yet do not have documents to claim ownership, said retired APCCF A.M. Annaiah. Annaiah spoke after inaugurating a workshop on ‘Malenad: Agriculture-Forest Conflict and Harmony’ held in Shivamogga on Saturday. During the early 1960s, families affected by the dam project were directed to move out. The trucks belonging to project contractors carried them to villages around Shivamogga and other taluks in the district and dumped them there, he said.
“Three generations have passed since then. However, the cultivators do not have ownership of their land. They are still fighting for their rights, though the district has contributed four Chief Ministers to the State,” Mr. Annaiah said. Highlighting that 64% of the land in Shivamogga district was covered by forests, Mr. Annaiah said the conflict between agriculturists and the Forest Department was quite serious. The national forest policy of 1988 made it clear that there would be no further regularisation of encroachment or illegal occupation of forests.
“The conservation of forests is essential for the survival of wildlife. It is also a fundamental duty of every citizen to protect rivers, forests, and the wildlife,” he stated. He further noted that the Supreme Court judgment in the Godavarman Thirumalpad v. Union of India case changed the definition of forests and was a landmark ruling. “The judgment referred to the dictionary definition of forests, irrespective of the ownership and classification of the land,” he stated. Agro-economist Prakash Kammaradi, a member of the Karnataka State Policy and Planning Commission, in his preliminary remarks, said the bond between agriculture and forestry had broken in recent years, giving rise to conflicts.
The Western Ghats had become conflict hotspots rather than biodiversity hotspots. “There is a need for restoring harmony between agriculture and forestry,” he stated. T.S. Huvaiah Gowda, retired Registrar of Kuvempu University, G.L. Janardhana of the Environment Study Centre and others were present at the workshop.
The BriefWire