No objections filed so far, with period of notice inviting objections if any, ending on June 15

Mysore/Mysuru: If all goes according to the plan, the growing Mysuru will be getting yet another Reserved Forest, that plays a major role in taking up conservation activities of flora and fauna along with different species of birds that is already on a decline.

The Office of Forest Managerial Officer, Mysuru Division, Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL) compound, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Main Road, behind National Institute of Engineering (NIE), Ashokapuram, in the city has invited objections if any on Mar. 16, 2024, for declaring 216 acres and 23 guntas of area in different survey numbers of Lingambudhi Lake Plantation area as a Reserved Forest under Section 17 of Karnataka Forest Act, 1963. The said area includes lands in Survey Numbers-23 of Lingambudhi village, 82 of Dattagalli and 11 of Ayyajayyanahundi.

However, the residential areas, agricultural fields and other human activities around Lingambudhi Lake won’t fall in the purview of this new move.

The 90-day notice calling for objections ends on June 15, but no objections have been filed so far, but 23 days more remain to complete the process, it is said.

Till the issuance of Final Notification, no person shall claim rights on the land on the basis of written agreement with an authorised individual or allotment, except for on behalf of the Government. No new houses shall be built on those lands and neither the cultivation of any horticultural crops are taken up. The land is not supposed to be used either for tilling or any other activities. No trees are allowed to be cut with business interest or for using them for manufacturing the products. No prior permission is given for issuing any patta (land deed) for the land without prior approval of the Government. Otherwise, the patta will be considered invalid. Any of the Civil Court shall not admit the petition claiming rights over the lands or Forest products.

Hence, all the persons who claim rights over the land or forest products should appear in person with either moral or written statement along with substantiating documents, before the signatory (Forest Managerial Officer, Mysuru Division) within three months from the issue of this ishtihaar (notification) dated Mar. 16, 2024.

The chakbandi (boundary) should be submitted as per the notification demarcating North, East, South and West sides of the land.

For record, in the year 2003, acting on the order of the then Deputy Commissioner, the Revenue Department had handed over the total extent of land to Forest Department. Prior to this, the land was under the supervision of Forest Department itself.

Since then, to declare it as a Reserved Forest area under Section 17 of Karnataka Forest Act 1963, the said procedure was launched. Once the period of calling for objections is over, the Government is expected to declare Lingambudhi Lake Area as a Reserved Forest Area, within a month of receiving the proposal.

It will come in handy in the conservation of nature and bird species, besides executing a permanent plan to divert sewage water from Dattagalli, Ramakrishnanagar, Sharadadevinagar, Janatanagar and other areas that was contaminating lake water, it is said.

The Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980 will also help in checking illegal activities especially cutting of precious trees, which is also inevitable in the interest of afforestation activities,  it is said.