Tumakuru's Environment & Heritage Issues

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...