Hubballi (Karnataka) September 12 : BJP MLC Basavaraj Horatti on Monday demanded Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to reject mining barons that have set their sights on the Kappatagudda region of the forest located in Gadag district that has been regarded as the home of medicinal plants for thousands of years.Horatti wrote to Bommai asking Bommai to protect the forest of Kappatagudda that covers 244.15 kilometers in the north of Karnataka by the formation of a special vigilance group.
“The CM should take a brave choice in this direction,”” he said.
“Mining barons have cast their sights on Kappatagudda.They have submitted an offer to the government that would allow them to conduct mining.
The government in power, the BJP government must oppose the plan without submitting to pressure or lurings” Horatti added.
He said that instead the government should develop plans to improve the region.
“Just as the government takes measures to stop forest fires the forest must also be protected from mining.Kappatagudda needs to be preserved in the same manner like the Western Ghats,” Horatti said.
“Electricity is produced from this area.The forest also contains rich mineral deposits.
The government issued a notice declaring Kappatagudda as a part of the wildlife sanctuary in 2019.In accordance with the Supreme Court and the government order mining is prohibited in the vicinity of 10 kilometers of the wildlife sanctuary.
“It is absurd that forest officials have claimed that there would be no consequences for the wildlife sanctuary or wildlife in the event that mining is permitted in the Kappatagudda region.CM Bommai should not allow mining in this area no matter what,” Horatti said.
Massive protests erupted as the government tried to remove the wildlife sanctuary tag from the Kappatagudda hill range in 2019.Environmentalists, students and seers of different mutts walked out in marches and held protests in the district.
A prominent Tontadarya Lingayat Mutt seer in Gadag successfully led a massive protest to ensure the protection of the Kappatagudda hill range.On May 16 2019 the Congress-JD (S) coalition government declared 24,415.73 acres of Kappatagudda range to be a a wildlife sanctuary that spans Gadag, Mundaragi and Shirahatti taluks of Gadag district.
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