Govt. of Karnataka Major Achievements of Western Ghats Task Force (Report Submitted as part of Second Annual Progress Report) Submitted to: Sri B. S. Yeddyurappa Hon. Chief Minister of Karnataka Govt. of Karnataka Vidhanasoudha Bangalore Submitted by: Sri Anant Hegde Ashisar Chairman Western Ghats Task Force and members Dept. of Forest & Environment # 307 / Vidhansoudha, Bangalore-01 28 September 2010 Western Ghats Task Force, Dept. of Forest & Environment, Govt. of Karnataka The Achievements The Western Ghats Task Force has been involved in developing and implementing all its programmes through dept. of Forest & Environment. Efforts are made to increase overall awareness and concern among both the govt. departments and all the sections of the society over the significance of Western Ghats . Some of the major achievements made during 2009 -10 are briefly summarized here . 1. The scope of Western Ghats in terms of exact geographical area has now been finalized along with the revenue Hobli-wise maps. Soon it will be published through govt. order, which can be used for any purpose which demands the description of geographical area of the Western Ghats in Karnataka. 2. As per one of the initial recommendations of the Western Ghats Task Force, the government has not sanctioned or permitted any new mining projects in Western Ghats region of Karnataka form June 2008. 3. A wide afforestation scheme (‘ Vriksharopana Abhiyana’ ) was launched by dept. of Forest, under the guidance of Task Force in June – August period of 2009, to plant more than two crore saplings across the state involving local farmers, Panchayat Raj institutions, organizations, educational institutions and students, religious leaders and so on. The chairman of the Task Force himself had participated in places like Dandeli, Londa , Khanapura , Chikkaballpura, Vazralli, Beegar, Kalache, Manchikeri, Kadtoaka, Masur, Gokarna, Hansagaru, Thirthahalli, Vanaalli, Swarnavalli, Kiravatti, Taralu betta – Siddapura, Hankona- Karwara, Devabagah, Mangalore, Gerusoppa, Mundgod, Sighndur, Tumari, Varadalli, Heroor, Bisgod , Mattur, Manden Koppa, Shringneri, Haveri, Joida, Hulekal, Heggarni, Ponnampete, Areangadi, Cahndkuli, Balehonnur, Kollibacchalu, Ashwinivana- Sakrebailu, Sonda among others. 4. The Coastal Green Wall Project has been launched after wide consultation with experts and stakeholders in order to prevent sea erosion and mitigate the coastal ecosystem degradation. This ecosystem restoration based scheme is first of its kind in the country. It involves the components developing a vegetation barrier all along the coast beyond the High Tide Line (HTL), protection of mangrove & estuaries, restoring runoff water channels, establishment of coastal biodiversity parks etc. Special studies are also initiated at the coastal area of Karwara, Honnavara, Kundapura and Mangalore forest divisions. 5. Sanctuary: Bhimagad Reserve Forest in Belgaum dist. has been declared as the Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) recently, through State Wildlife Board as per the provisions of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, to protect its pristine evergreen forest system with rare Bat species. 6. Similar efforts are being done for declaring Chincholi (Gulbarga dist.) & Kappata Gudda (Gadag dist.) as ‘ Wildlife Sanctuary’. 7. Conservation Reserve: Four major ‘ Conservation Reserves’ are declared recently by State Wildlife Board under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, without disturbing the bona-fide rights of local communities. They are : • Aghanahshini Valley in Utara Kannada district. (For its pristine evergreen forest valley system with many RET & Endemic animal & plant species) • Bedthi Valley in Utara Kannada district. (For its pristine evergreen & deciduous forest valley system with many RET & Endemic animal & plant species) • Dandeli forest region in Uttara Kannada district. (For its pristine deciduous forest system with many RET & Endemic animal & plant species) • Basur Amrutha Mahal Kaval (Chikamagalur dist.) for their wide range of wildlife including traditional cattle breeds. 8. Natural Heritage Sites: The Karnataka Biodiversity Board has declared the following areas as ‘Natural Heritage Sites’ as per the provisions of Biological Diversity (Conservation) Act, 2002. I. Netrani Island, U. K.District II. Vegetation area GKVK Campus, Bangalore III. Hogrekhan, Chicmagalore District IV. Ambargudda, Shimoga District 9. Heritage Trees: The Karnataka Biodiversity Board has declared the following trees as ‘Heritage Trees’ as per the provisions of Biological Diversity (Conservation), Act 2002. The trees are: No Name of the Tree Location 1 Adansonia digitata (Malvaceae) Bijapur taluk, Bijapur District. 2 Adansonia digitata (Malvaceae) Bijapur taluk, Bijapur District. 3 Tamarindus Indica (Legumnsoae) Devara Hippargi village, Sindagi Tq., Bijapura. 4 Azadirachta indica (Meliacease) T.Venkatapura village, Sidlagatta Taluk, Chickballapur dist. 5 Ficus begalensis (Moraceae) Chickkahally village, Mysore taluk Mysore. 6 Ficus relegiosa (Moraceae) Manasagangothri Campus, Mysore. 7 Bombax ceiba (Bombaxaceae) Palace Gate, Mysore 8 Ficus bengalensis (Moraceae) Bangalore (U), Kethohalli 9 Araucaria cookie (Gymnosperm) Bangalore, Lalbagh 10 Ficus species (Moraceae) Jade, Shimoga District, Soraba taluk 10. The other ecologically sensitive areas are also being identified in Chikkamagalur, Shimogga, Uttara Kannada & Dakshina Kannada districts. They may be protected with the help of local communities either as ‘ Natural Heritage Sites’ or ‘ Conservation Reserve’. Some of the area being identified are Sahasralinga, Kailasagudda, Yana, Karikanammana Gudda, Kattale Kanu, Konkikote, Hosagunda, (Uttara Kannda ), Ammanaghaata, Kodachahdri (Shimogga dsit.), Hireakal Gudda (Arasikere), Charmadi, Subramanya (Dakshina Kannada) etc. 11. Major support is given either to establish the new botanical gardens or rejuvenating the existing ones in Ashvinivana, Tumari, Varadalli, Sighandur (Shimoga dist.), Sasyaloka , Heroor , (Uttara Kanada dist.) Siddharabetta (Tumakur dist.), Balehonnur, Hogrekanugiri. (Chikamagalur dist.), Alamatti (Bagalakot) and Belgaum, Hoskere (Bangalore), Chincholi, Ganagapura (Gulbarga), JSS College Campus Dharwad. 12. Efforts are made to initiate the mitigation efforts for the area with water and soil pollution in the places like Dandeli (Kali river pollution by paper & pulp industry), Bhadravati (Bhadra river pollution by industrial complex), Londa (Bone & sponge iron factory), Gokarna (municipal sewage problem) etc. area by engaging with Karnataka Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). 13. Schemes are being evolved to promote agro-forestry practice through participatory principle by organizing workshops in Bagalkot, Chikmagalur, Tumkur, Bijapura and Banavasi. Efforts are also being made to document the agro-biodiversity in different regions through Biodiversity Board. Special action is initiated in Uttara Kanada to develop Betta (Minor forest with certain privileges to the farmers) with agro-forestry principle. 14. A special delegation was taken to Sri Jairam Ramesh, Hon. Minster of Forest & Environment, GoI to appraise about various issues related to conservation and sustainable development aspects of Western Ghats region in Karnataka. 15. Environment education is being considered as one of the major long term strategy to bring in conservation principles in main stream development debate. In this connection, the Hon. Chairman of Task Force has visited Universities of Mangalore, Dharwad, Kuvempu, Tumakur to meet faculty & students and to have a detailed interaction and apprise them on the need of taking up direct field action. 16. Efforts are made to protect the coastal zone protection with CRZ principles by involving local people & organizations in Ullala, Mangalore, Udupi, Kundapura, Bhatkala, Bengre, Honnavara, Mavinakurve, Kumata, Tadai, Gokarna, Ankola, Baithakola & Karwara. 17. Efforts are made to extend the network of people of working in the field of climate change issues by taking major role in a conference on ‘Climate Change’ organized by MoEF , Govt. of India, (called ‘Delhi Summit on Climate Change’) and similar effort with FRLHT , Bangalore on conservation & sustainable utilization of medicinal plants. 18. WGTF has initiated the process of developing a model mine reclamation site in Bisgod reserve forest in Uttara Kannada , which was once devastated by manganese mining, through implementing schemes with active participation of local people. 19. Modules are being evolved to make use of NREGAs for effective natural resource augmentation programmes like afforestation throughout the Sahydri area. Such model progammes are taken up with the leadership of district administration in Shimoga dist. 20. Effective wildlife protection strategies are being promoted through forming & strengthening the Eco-development committees in Protected Area of the state like, Nagarahole, Bandipura, Bhadra, Kuduremukh, Mookambika Dandeli, Anshi, Shettihalli & Sharavati. The conferences of Eco-development Committees are organized for this purpose. 21. More than thirty five major seminars, workshops and conferences were organized inviting experts and scientists from different fields for suggesting policy inputs in the area like wildlife protection, environment laws, sustainable development strategies, medicinal plant conservation & promotion, eco-tourism, eco-sensitive area, Sacred Grove conservation, coastal zone management, tribal welfare through forest conservation and so on. Recommendations are being made out of such exercise. Such