Kappatagudda declared as conservation reserve, once more
Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has decided to go along with larger consensus in the controversial environment versus development issue in the Kappatagudda forest reserve case and restore the “conservation reserve” tag.
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, Siddaramaiah confirmed that he has signed to re-instate the conservation tag to the Kappatagudda forest reserve. The Karnataka state wildlife board had previously given an unanimous decision to restore the conservation tag to the forest reserve. “The officials will now take a call on how to proceed further,” Siddaramaiah said.
Late Tuesday evening, the notification on declaring Kappatagudda reserve as a conservation reserve was notified by the forest department.
The CM appears to have not taken the chance of being seen favourable to a mining lobby in an election year.
On November 4 2016, the government decided to withdraw the conservation tag which was accorded to Kappatagudda in the preceding year of 2015, leading to an agitation in Gadag district. Environmentalists considered it as doomsday for the forest reserve.
With the forest having deposits of close to 50 tonnes of unadulterated and pure gold reserves, the Ramgad Mines and Minerals limited (RMML), a subsidiary of the Baldota group of companies, had been given a mining license in 2012 itself.
Subsequently, after the protests, public consultations were held in the area which according to the forest department yielded an “overwhelming” response for the reinstating of the conservation tag.
The same was conveyed to the state wildlife conservation board, which is headed by Siddaramaiah. On February 20, Siddaramaiah at the board meeting had indefinitely postponed the decision to reinstate the conservation reserve tag to the biodiversity rich forest land giving to a lot scepticism over whom he will favour.
Later, the matter landed in the high court with a section of the society opposing any conservation tag to the Kappathagudda forest land, as there could be increased development and employment in the region due to mining activity.
However, chief justice S K Mukherjee refused to interfere in the matter and handed over the decision making powers to the state wildlife board.
