Crack down on illegal resorts and families in tiger reserves: Ramalinga Reddy

Homestay in Kodagu near Talacauvery. According to the tourism department, there are about 4,000 registered families in Karnataka.

Environment Minister Ramalinga Reddy has directed forest officials to take immediate action against all illegally established resorts and families in the ecological zone (ESZ) and buffer zone of various tiger reserves and protected areas.

Mr. Reddy, who chaired the meeting of the State Wildlife Board’s Standing Committee, sought details of the number of resorts, host families and other commercial activities in the ESZ and buffer zone after the ESZ was announced for various tiger reserves and protected areas.

Quiet zones

He further ordered that there should be minimum disturbance in the EEZ areas and that they should be declared as quiet zones.

He also tried to prepare for zonal master plans to create awareness among the people about the do’s and don’ts of the ESZ areas.

A proposal to set up an eco-resort on private land falling within the buffer zone of the Bhadra Tiger Reserve was tabled in the meeting, which was shelved.

No mining

A proposal to allow mining activities in Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary ESZ in Gadag was also rejected.

Proposals for electrification of BSNL saturation towers, OFC cables and a small link bridge have been approved for recommendation to the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC NBWL).

The meeting also decided to submit a proposal to the SC NBWL to rationalize the Shettihalli Wildlife Sanctuary boundary where the boundary was not properly demarcated at the time of notification.

The Standing Committee of the State Wildlife Board also decided not to change the ESZ of Bannerughatta National Park.

Opinion to the Union Government.

“In connection with the re-notification of the ESZ for the Bannerughatta National Park, it has been decided to submit an opinion to the Union Government that since all the elephant corridors are already part of the ESZ and the ESZ has been notified after due deliberation, it can be continued without any modifications,” the minister said.

It was also decided to review the existing notification of buffer zones for tiger reserves through a technical committee and discuss whether any rationalization of the existing buffer zones is required.

Published – 07 Oct 2026 0:34 IST