Forest dept. clears ₹25-crore worth encroached forest land

The Forest department officials have cleared the 4.3 acres of encroached forest land valued at around ₹25 crore in the Bhoothanahalli mini-forest near Kaggalipura-Bannerghatta Road.

The encroachment drive was carried out on Saturday following the directions of the Forest and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre.

The Bhuthanahalli area in the Anekal zone comprises 539 acres and 27 guntas of mini-forest land. A statement from the Minister stated that a person named Ravi Kavale had encroached upon four acres and three guntas of the land and constructed a farmhouse.

Although the forest department had filed an FIR in 2006, it has taken 18 years of legal struggle to reclaim this land, the statement noted.

During the reign of the erstwhile Kingdom of Mysuru in 1934, 539 acres and 27 guntas in Bhoothanahalli were officially declared as a mini-forest.

So far, 70% of the encroachments in this forest area have been cleared, with efforts being taken to reclaim the remaining land legally.

Published - November 24, 2024 07:12 pm IST