In a significant move to safeguard Karnataka's green cover, the state forest department is set to pursue land compensation for every hectare of deemed forest that is diverted for other purposes. This initiative comes as a joint verification exercise of over 3.3 lakh hectares of deemed forest land is currently in progress across the state.
Joint Survey to Map Forest Land
Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has confirmed that a detailed physical verification is being conducted on the ground by teams from the forest and revenue departments. The minister has set a firm deadline of March 2026 for the completion of this extensive survey and the submission of a final report.
The primary objective of this exercise is to ascertain the exact extent of land that has undergone changes in its characteristics over the past decade. "The physical verification of forest land will provide us a detailed picture of how much deemed forest lands can be retained and how much has to be alienated," Khandre stated. He strongly affirmed the government's intent to retain the full 3.3 lakh hectares under the deemed forest category.
Compensation and Rectification of Past Errors
Minister Khandre outlined a clear policy of "land for land" compensation. For every acre lost due to changed characteristics or wrongful inclusion of villages, schools, and agricultural land in previous surveys, the government will seek alternative revenue land. He criticized the previous administration for what he termed an "unscientific job" of adding habitations and non-forest lands merely to comply with Supreme Court directives.
"Now, we will try to rectify the same by getting land which has no habitations and convert the same into a deemed forest," Khandre explained. This approach aims to genuinely enhance forest cover rather than just meet numerical targets on paper.
Benefits for Wildlife and Upcoming Tiger Census
Senior forest officials highlighted that the recovery and proper demarcation of these lands are crucial for wildlife conservation. It will create more space for wild animals, alleviating pressure on existing, often overpopulated, forest reserves.
A department official provided the example of tiger habitats: "Every tiger needs at least 10-12 square km of its own space. Bandipur has 900 square km, but there are as many as 200 tigers inside, which forces them to come out of the jungles and get into conflict with humans. The deemed forest lands, uninhabited, may help us in getting some relief in such situations."
In a related development, Minister Khandre announced that a comprehensive tiger census across Karnataka will be launched within the next two months. "We definitely believe there is an increase but the census will give us the exact picture," he said. While the joint survey has been progressing slowly in districts like Chikkamagaluru, authorities are confident of completing it within the stipulated timeframe, aiming for the final report by March 2026, "give or take a month."
