Adani Enterp. 2459.00↑13.95(0.57%)
Adani Ports 737.95↑1.35(0.18%)
Apollo Hospitals 4985.25↑17.95(0.36%)
Asian Paints 3228.50↓-8.75(-0.27%)
Axis Bank 940.45↑14.35(1.55%)
B P C L 356.45↓-3.60(-1.00%)
Bajaj Auto 4700.00↑30.90(0.66%)
Bajaj Finance 7059.55↑35.65(0.51%)
Bajaj Finserv 1463.70↑6.45(0.44%)
Bharti Airtel 839.80↑3.30(0.39%)
Britannia Inds. 4686.20↑32.05(0.69%)
Cipla 961.90↓-3.95(-0.41%)
Coal India 230.35↓-0.55(-0.24%)
Divi's Lab. 3486.00↓-25.60(-0.73%)
Dr Reddy's Labs 4625.25↑14.80(0.32%)
Eicher Motors 3689.70↓-9.70(-0.26%)
Grasim Inds 1717.70↑7.15(0.42%)
H D F C 2659.80↑13.90(0.53%)
HCL Technologies 1142.55↑5.50(0.48%)
HDFC Bank 1615.00↑8.50(0.53%)
HDFC Life Insur. 575.85↓-0.55(-0.10%)
Hero Motocorp 2900.05↑7.40(0.26%)
Hind. Unilever 2707.00↓-9.70(-0.36%)
Hindalco Inds. 424.20↑3.45(0.82%)
ICICI Bank 946.65↑8.50(0.91%)
IndusInd Bank 1292.75↑4.55(0.35%)
Infosys 1302.70↑3.70(0.28%)
ITC 445.80↑2.40(0.54%)
JSW Steel 709.40↑2.80(0.40%)
Kotak Mah. Bank 1942.95↑4.20(0.22%)
Larsen & Toubro 2244.70↑10.15(0.45%)
M & M 1365.00↑23.60(1.76%)
Maruti Suzuki 9498.00↑12.65(0.13%)
Nestle India 21994.00↓-52.45(-0.24%)
NTPC 175.70↑1.15(0.66%)
O N G C 155.20↑0.50(0.32%)
Power Grid Corpn 236.75↑2.15(0.92%)
Reliance Industr 2464.05↑8.85(0.36%)
SBI Life Insuran 1210.85↑8.35(0.69%)
St Bk of India 589.20↑2.00(0.34%)
Sun Pharma.Inds. 1002.55↑2.95(0.30%)
Tata Consumer 798.30↑2.25(0.28%)
Tata Motors 542.20↑6.30(1.18%)
Tata Steel 108.30↑0.30(0.28%)
TCS 3316.00↑10.40(0.31%)
Tech Mahindra 1116.25↓-6.85(-0.61%)
Titan Company 2865.95↑4.30(0.15%)
UltraTech Cem. 7891.60↑40.95(0.52%)
UPL 686.15↑2.80(0.41%)
Wipro 408.45↑3.50(0.86%)

Giving wildlife a fighting chance: The new face of conservation in India

Some of India's top wildlife biologists and ecologists believe that the Forest Rights Act gives both tribals and wildlife a fighting chance

Premium

The Soliga people have lived with, shaped and used the forests of the Biligiriranga Hill, Karnataka for generations before it was locked down as a sanctuary

14 min read Last Updated : Aug 02 2019 | 11:06 PM IST

No outsider is allowed to visit the 30 families of Gombegallu hamlet in Kollegal tehsil of Chamarajnagar, Karnataka, without the written permission of the authorities. Their village is an enclosure — called the Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple (BRT) Tiger Reserve.

Consequently, they do not enjoy the rights that other citizens in the country take for granted. Basic services and facilities like water, electricity, healthcare, childcare, roads — all require special permissions and depend on the authorities’ discretion. Even in a medical emergency an ambulance cannot come close to the village without permission.

While they are free to leave their enclosure anytime they want, they have to use the kuccha road out for kilometres and one expected to return before 6 pm. In fact, the authorities keep pushing them to leave for good. They are offered Rs 10 lakh a family to do so.