Dharwad to get hitech forest institute

Dharwad will soon have a high-tech forest training institute. The state government, responding to a proposal sent by Western Ghat Task Force, has sanctioned Rs 4 crore for setting up the institute. It will come up at Gungaragatti, 15 kms from Dharwad.

Western Ghat Task Force chairman Ananth Hegde Ashisar who was here to attend a seminar on forest research told Business Standard on Tuesday that the research and training centre will help the forestry students to learn and take up advanced research of Western Ghats and Kappathgudda.

He said both Kappatagudda and Western Ghats have been declared as conservation protected areas and hence mining, felling of trees and destruction of flora and fauna in these areas have been prohibited.

Considering Bedthi and Aghanasini as a bio-diversity sensitive area, it has also been declared as conservation reserve. Now, no dams or power plants can come up in this area. Nearly 50 meters on both sides of the Shalmala river has also been declared as conserve reserve. All along the river belt, the existing plant life would be conserved.

To check sea erosion, the Western Ghat Task Force has launched a new project titled ‘Karavali Hasiru Kavacha’ (Coastal Green Cover). “Earlier to prevent soil erosion, huge rocks and boulders used to be dumped on the sea shore. Now, ‘Green wall’ comprising several trees is being built. This would protect the sea bio-diversity,” he asserted.

Apart from this, the task force has identified a few villages which have rich bio-diversity. These villages are tagged as ‘Hasiru Samruddhi Grama’. So far 36 such villages have been identified.

and installation of bio-gas plants, solar units and nurturing of medical plants has been taken up in these villages. The Village Forest Committees (VFCs) have been asked to monitor the project and help the villagers.

Ashisar strongly condemned the fatal attack on Dandeli ACF Madan Nayak. He said the task force had taken up the issue seriously and had asked the government to take steps to monitor the activities in the resorts.