Tumakuru's Environment & Heritage Issues

Dear friends, You may find the following information useful incase you have decided to file an application under Right to Information (RTI) Act to get any information relating to forests or forest department. You can use the following application format ( click here to see a sample of questions you can ask ) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Form A(u/s. 6(1) and 7(1) of Right to Information Act – 2005) To Pubic Information Officer Office of (Deputy Commissioner / Deputy Conservator of Forests / CEO, ZP etc) Address of the office: 1. Applicant’s Name: 2. Applicant’s Address: 3. Details of document/s requested: a) b) c) d) 4. Year to which the document/s pertain: As stated above or till date 5. Details of amount paid: Indian Postal Order No: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Place: Signature of the applicant ---------------------------------------------------------...

View of the Tumakuru Amanikere wetland inside Tumakuru City, with the backdrop of the granite hill range of Devarayanadurga state forest Dear bird lovers, The winter is here, so are our winged visitors from all over Northern Hemisphere. Check the story and pictures below. I have made the bird pictures using my spotting scope, hence they might not be the best. Warm regards, Ameen SOURCE: The New Indian Express, Bangalore, Nov. 19, 2007, Page 5 http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEK20071118231133&Page=K&Headline=Winged+guests+from+Pak+surprise+bird+watchers&Title=Southern+News+%2D+Karnataka&Topic=0 -------------Quote------------- 'Winged guests from Pak surprise bird watchers' By Devaraj B Hirehalli Tumkur, Nov. 18: Obviously it's not the emergency in Pakistan which pushed the 'common swallow' birds to Tumkur, but it could be the warmth of the winter season. This time the pleasant climate and temperature between 15-20 degrees centigrade might...

Dear all, The nature lovers in our media have helped immensely in the recent expose of irregularities in Devarayanadurga's jungles. Media of Tumakuru City were among those who caught the forest minister's gunman felling trees inside Devarayanadurga State Forest this Wednesday. The stories carried out by Devaraj, District Correspondent of The New Indian Express and Chandru, TV9 Tumakuru correspondent were noticed by Karnataka's Anti-corruption department(Lokayukta). The Deputy Chief of Karnataka's Lokayukta (Upa-Lokayukta) has ordered an enquiry into this. Please read the story at the end of this email. In conservation, Ameen ---------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE: The New Indian Express, Bangalore - State, Page 6 Friday, October 19, 2007 -------Quote------- INQUIRY INTO CHARGES AGAINST CHENIGAPPA'S GUNMAN, OFFICIALS Bangalore, Oct 18: Upalokayukta Justice G Patri Basavana Goud on Tursday ordered a prelimnary inquiry against gunman of forme...

SOURCE: The New Indian Express, Bangalore - State, Page 6 October 18, 2007 http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEK20071018021527&Page=K&Headline=Chennigappa%92s+gunman+caught+felling+trees&Title=Southern+News+%2D+Karnataka&Topic=0 ------------------Quote--------------------- Chennigappa's gunman caught felling trees Express News Service Tumkur,Oct 17: President's rule seems to have no impact on former forest minister C Chenigappa's chelas. They continue to fell trees and lift them illegally from the Devarayanadurga reserve forest, 12 km from here. Hanumanthappa, gunman of the former minster, was caught red handed onWednesday, while felling tres and shifting logs from the forests. Some people hired by the gunman and some Forest Department workers werespotted axing the trees and loading the logs into a tractor. His home village Bandihalli is about 10 km from the spot. When environmentalists and mediamen qustioned him, Hanumanthappa claimed that he had ...

Dear all, Last Friday (12th October 2007) afternoon, I had been to the office ofthe Superintendent of Police, Lokayukta (Anti-corruption) Tumakuru, regarding the irregularities inside Devarayanadurga. After explaining him the situation, I offered to take him to Chinnaga. He readily accepted. I was surprised how a cop would accept to visit the forest with me in half an hour but the District's forest officials failed to do this even 4 months after filing the 1st written complaint (in June2007). Myself and Mallikarjun went with him. The situation was the same inChinnaga area- there was sand lifting from the areas where the road has been built, people are taking out felled trees and there is illegal stone lifting going besides the road. The SP saw all this.While returning back to Swandenahalli village the SP himself enquired with the village road contractor asking him about the persons behind the Chinnaga road. The local village contractor told that the particular contractor who carrie...

Dear nature lovers, The following is the text of complaint (Case no: COMPT/ LOK/ BD/112/2007) that I filed with Lokayukta Karnataka against the maladminstration and corruption inside Devarayanadurga State Forest. In conservation, Ameen ------------------------------------- From Ameen Ahmed Tumakuru – 5721 01 To The Lokayukta Dr.B.R.Ambedkar Road MS Building Bangalore – 5600 01 Date: 16 October, 2007 Sir, Sub: Complaint against maladministration and looting of public wealth in Devarayanadurga State Forest, Tumakuru Taluk Under the preview of the existing Forest Conservation Act (1980) and also under the Honourable Supreme Court of India’s order dated 12/12/1996 in the Godavarman Thirumalpad vs Union of India case prior clearance has to be taken to carry any development activity in a forest or to fell trees. In Tumakuru’s Devarayanadurga and its surrounding state forests today the law of the land seems non-existent due to a dysfunctional forest department. Th...

Since 1997, hundreds of mature trees have been felled in Devarayanadurga and its nearby state forests. Even as we write this, many are being felled. The trees are first debarked clandestinely and let to die a natural death. A view of one of the half cut trees. Then they are felled in the name of removing dry wood. A felled tree besides the Namadachelume - Devarayanadurga main road. Trees are being ruthlessly felled here even during daytime. Even on informing the forest department about these events, it is taking no action. Among such places is the Girlakatte valley . In early and mid-90s, this valley had so many trees that it used to be dark even in summer when we used to walk on the path under the canopy of these trees. The same has happened with the canopy behind Rama Lakshmana trees on the 5 th mile stone – Namadachelume road. The sad part is that the forest department is not even willing to stop those who are carrying away the felled trees. A happy tree man carrying away w...

The above picture is of the forests in revenue land besides Devarayanadurga village adjoining Devarayanadurga State Forest in Tumkur Taluk. Background: Devarayanadurga State Forest is about 42 sq. km large. There are many revenue lands adjoining the boundaries of this state forest that have forests in them. Though unprotected, rare wildlife like panthers, sloth bears and Yellowthroated Bulbuls thrive in them and they are the source of many streams and water courses.  According to the H'ble Supreme Court's judgement in the Godavaraman Thirumalpad vs Union of India, any Government land that has tree cover is a 'deemed forest'. Nature lovers of Tumakuru want the Government of Karnataka to declare these 'revenue' forests as Reserve Forest using its powers under section 4 of Karnataka Forest Act (1963). Please read the below release on this issue. Press Release The Tumkauru Division of Karnataka Forest Department had stated in its reply to an applicatio...

Dear WANCers, Please find below the responses recieved by Ameen's querries filed with the DCF under the RTI in Aug 07. Some of the responses are very interesting. It has been replied that only 11 dead Jalari trees have been removed from the whole of Tumkur Division since 1997, while it is also replied that 12 Jalari trees have been removed from Devarayanadurga alone during the same period. Also it has been replied that there has been no Eucalyptus removal from the entire Tumkur Division from 1997 to 2003. But details have been provided for the eucalyptus removed for 1997-98 and 2000-2001. Are you confused? Read on.... Regards, Ameen Replies to information asked by Shri.Ameen Ahamed, Ghouse Buildings, Horpet Main Road, Tumkur Sl No. Information asked Reply 1. How many tree-felling cases have been booked since 1997 till date in the above forests? A) Devarayanadurga 32 B) Panditanahalli 02 C) R.D Betta 03 2. How many of these cases have been proved...

Dear nature lovers, Mallikarjun filed two more RTI applications to find out who exactly is involved in the construction of the road to Chinga Rangaswamy Temple from Swandenahalli village. The RTI application is included below. As Mallik has mentioned, the said road as it is today, never existed in the original notification of DD nor did it exist in the Survey Map of 1972. It neither existed in today's condition when UV Singh was the DFO nor did it when Guru and myself visited it during the time of MN Narayanaswamy in 2000-2001. Did it appear over night out of nowhere? Who is behind it? Who are the authorities who should be punished for this? These are the questions to which we would like to have the answers. That is the reason behind all these applications and complaints. Thanks, Ameen ---------------------------------------------------- To Pubic Information Officer Office of CEO Zilla Panchayat Tumkur Form A (u/s. 6(1) and 7(1) of Right to Information Act – 2005) 1. Applicant'...

As you all know, recently there have been many trees that have been felled inside Devarayanadurga Reserve Forest along the Belaguba-Oordigere Road to lay a new power line to Navodaya School. As we understand, the agency that lays a power line inside a reserve forest should meet the conditions under various forest and environmental Acts of our country. Mallikarjun has already filed an RTI application with the Forest Department, Tumkur to find out if the forest department has imposed any such conditions on the agency that is laying the power line. To make sure that we get the correct information, I filed a similar application with the BESCOM (previously KEB) on 22 Sep '07 (Please see the RTI application at the end of thi email) I over heard one of the official there saying Navodaya School is laying down the power line on its own and BESCOM has nothing to do with the actual laying of power line or tree felling. If this is true, then the forest department is wrong in giving permission ...

First, the Forest Department allowed the illegal construction of a road inside, probably, Devarayanadurga's most densly forested area... The tree looters followed soon. They cut the trees with impunity... Then they tie the logs to the their bicycles... They then ride away as freely as they entered the forest. All this while the forest officials sleep away on this problem... Hi, I had again been to Chinagara betta on 9th Sep'07 with Gundappa mestru. We were lucky enough to spot the Frogs heaven, Mestru could identify 3 species of frogs by their calls, Painted frog, Marballed frog, Indian Bull frog. I cud enjoy the sight thro my binacs. Later we took Chinagara betta road and drove.... Once again we saw a beautiful Ground Orchid. We reached the check dam, which was full. We saw four tree cutters doing their destructional work without any fear. I am attaching some of the photos by which one can judge the amount of forest wealth flowing outside without any obstruction or I may sa...

Dear Nature lovers, Nature lovers Mallik (Mallikarjun) and Ameen (Ameen Ahmed) have filed 2 applications each under the Right to Information Act (2005), seeking information on forests of Tumkur. Many of these questions refer to Devarayanadurga State Forest, in tune with our latest efforts to save it from total destruction. We are awaiting the answers to these questions. I. 25th August 2007: Application no: 1 filed by Ameen Request to provide following information with reference to Devarayanadurga, Panditanahalli and Ramadevara Betta state forests in Tumkur Territorial Range 1) How many tree-felling cases have been booked since 1997 till date in th above forests? 2) How many of these cases have been proved in the court? 3) How many forest offence cases including illegal quarrying, illegal sand lifting and encroachment cases have been booked since 1997 till date in the above forests? 4) How many of these cases have been proved in the court? 5) How many dead trees have bee...

Dear Readers, The following story appeared in the Tumkur Print of The New Indian Express on August 28, 2007. The story is written by Indian Express' Tumkur based corresondent Devaraj B Hirehalli. Regards, Ameen SOURCE: The New Indian Express (Tumkur print), 28 August 2007 ---Quote--- 'Hunt' on for the elusive Devarayanadurga tiger By Devaraj B Hirehalli Tumkur, Aug 27: Wildlife enthusiasts here in Tumkur have been on the ' hunt ' for a tiger in Devarayanadurga Reserve Forests since 2000. No instances of this tiger giving trouble to the people of surrounding villages or to their cattle has been reported so far. Yet in Sept 2001, the death of a fully grown cow was suspected to be a tiger kill. But this is yet to be confirmed. Naturally, the dry deciuous Devarayanadurga Hills reserve forest which spreads across 42.47 sq km, also has patches of scrub and a few degraded moist deciduous forests in its valleys. It is evidently a habitat for different sp...

I. Introduction to Devarayanadurga State Forest (DDSF): Devarayanadurga state forest was the first state forest to be declared in Karnataka (in 1907). It has been enjoying some sort of legal protection by the Government since as early as 1853. II. Vegetation/ Flora of Devarayanadurga forests: It is about 42.27 Sq km large and is a patch of mainly Dry Deciduous forest inter-spread with large patches of scrub and a few degraded moist deciduous forests in its valleys. The forest is degraded towards periphery. For a forest which is just about 6 km from Tumkur city, it is remarkably well preserved and wild. Both the Forest Department and the locals of Tumkur have special attachment towards this forest. It is important to note that there are no villages inside the forest here and there are many chunks of hilly forests adjoining Devarayana Durga state forest (DDSF) roughly about 20 sq. km, which although unprotected have a fairly good tree cover like the one at Ranthambore Nation...

I recently came upon some facts on Devarayanadurga forests, not known to many outside the forest department. Most of these are mentioned in Letter No. 3676, dated the 20th of November 1906, from the Conservator of Forests in Mysore. This makes an interesting read for any one who knows about this wonderful piece of woodland, considered to be the earliest reserve forest not only in Karnataka but also in India. Devarayanadurga at present is a 42 sq km forest located on the outskirts of south India's Tumkur City. It has a population of wild langur, chital, leopards and wild boars. It is home to nearly 250 species of birds and more than 50 butterfly types. It feeds tens of streams that quench the parched throats of tens of thousands of surrounding villagers. The forest forms a major catchment area for the two streams- Jaya and Mangali. These streams have been dammed at Irrakasandra Project and Teeta Dam (the well-known Goravanahalli Temple). Downstream they join the Northern Pinakini...