Members of the ‘Save Kabini’ group at a press conference in Mysuru on Tuesday. | Photo credit: MA SRIRAM
Environmental group ‘Save Kabini’, which claims that illegal activities, including construction of resorts, continue in the ecologically sensitive zones adjacent to the Kabini River, has urged the state government to take immediate measures to protect the forests from encroachment.
Addressing a press conference in Mysuru on Tuesday, members of ‘Save Kabini’, including Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangh (KRRS) activist Honnur Prakash and advocate V. Ravikumar, pointed out that commercial activities should be banned in ecologically sensitive zones, tiger reserves and elephant forest corridors falling within the Najopur river and elephant areas of Kabinigar Bandinle.
Commercial activities such as resorts, homestays, hotels, clubs, bars, restaurants, boating, safaris and water sports were strictly regulated, apart from ginger processing units, factories, stone crushers, private vehicle safaris within forest limits and the use of heavy machinery such as excavators.
Although commercial activities mandatorily require clearance certificates from the Forest and Irrigation Department, and construction plans and business permits from other relevant departments had to be obtained before starting operations, the “Save Kabini” group regretted that many businesses in the forest areas belonged to influential politicians and industrialists who operated them illegally.
Illegal business operations in the backwaters of Kabini and in the ecologically sensitive zones of Bandipur and Nagarhole Tiger Reserve have led to the destruction of forest wealth and threatened wildlife, said a member of Save Kabini.
This led to the displacement of tigers, leopards, elephants, wild boars, deer, peacocks and other animals and birds from the forests, causing serious problems to farmers living on the fringes of the forests.
Therefore, the ‘Save Kabini’ members urged the government to take action not only against the Forest Department officials but also against the Irrigation, Tourism, Panchayat Raj and Revenue Department officials who were responsible for these lapses and replace them with honest officials.
They also urged the government to crack down on illegal activities in the forest areas so that the forests are protected from encroachers.
Published – 04 Nov 2025 20:21 IST
