The Hindu : Karnataka / Mysore News : Plan to dig trenches around Bandipur National Park

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 10, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Mysore

Plan to dig trenches around Bandipur National Park

By Our Staff Correspondent

MYSORE, MARCH 9. H.S. Mahadeva Prasad, Minister for Food and Civil Supplies, said on Wednesday that a comprehensive project to dig trenches on a stretch of nearly 197 km along the Bandipur National Park has been submitted to the State Government.

The Minister was speaking at B. Matakere in H.D. Kote taluk, near here, after inaugurating the free distribution of LPG gas connections organised by Namma Sangha.

Mr. Prasad said the comprehensive project at a cost of Rs. 115 crores will involve laying service roads along the periphery of the forest and erecting solar electric fences. All these are being taken up to prevent wild animals, especially elephants from straying out of forests to the nearby villages.

The Minister urged the villagers to support the Government's initiative. Compensation for the crop losses can be delayed. Losses may not be covered fully by the compensation awarded to villagers.

About the distribution of LPG cylinders to the villagers through Namma Sangha, the Minister said the effort will reduce pressure on forests as villagers will ot venture inside to collect firewood. While 25,000 families in 171 villages on the periphery of forests have been identified, 16,000 families will receive the LPG connections by the end of two months.

He said the Centre has granted a financial assistance of Rs. 55 lakhs to Namma Sangha, and that the whole project of providing LPG connections to 25,000 families will be completed in the next one year

Yellow cards

Mr. Prasad announced that the deadline for completion of re-survey of beneficiaries for yellow cards has been extended to May 23. Ideally, the survey should have completed by the end of March. He said nodal officers have been appointed in the taluk level for identifying genuine beneficiaries.

On the information technology front, the Minister said the department will be computerised and the yellow cards to be distributed to the beneficiaries on the lines of credit cards.

The Government is footing around Rs. 700 crores towards the distribution of rice and wheat at a subsidised rate.

Yatheesh Kumar, Divisional Forest Officer, Bandipur National Park, said that Namma Sangha had received a overwhelming response from the villagers in the periphery of the national park. He said the Indian Oil Corporation encouraged by the response has sanctioned one more LPG agency at B. Matakere to service the people residing in the region.

Mr. Yatheesh Kumar said: "A basic monitoring of firewood consumption by 50 families in four villages shows a drastic decrease from an average of 10 kg a day per family to less than a kg a day per family. Apart from the direct effect, the relationship between the villagers and the park authorities is becoming increasingly cordial."

Namma Sangha was formed in 2003 to provide alternative cooking to villagers, and with an intention to reduce the demand for firewood from the park.

A pilot project in 150 villages in the periphery of the park has revealed that nearly 2.5 lakh kg. of firewood is being extracted from the Bandipur forests daily to support nearly 1.5 lakh people and an equal number of livestock.

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