The Forest Department is grappling with a contentious issue in Hassan district, where quarrying activities are reportedly resuming in areas designated as deemed forests. These forests, spanning 400.16 acres in Arsikere and Channarayapatna taluks, were ordered to suspend quarry operations in February 2024 following their designation as deemed forests on May 5, 2022. This classification restricts non-forest activities unless approved by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Despite this, a letter from the senior scientist of the Mines and Geology Department for Hassan district, dated July 18, 2024, instructed quarry license holders to resume operations. This directive followed a June 26, 2024, decision by the District Task Force, led by the Deputy Commissioner, which allowed quarrying to continue until a joint survey by the Forest Department, Mines and Geology Department, and Revenue Department is completed.
The resumption of quarrying is controversial as it contradicts an April 2, 2024, High Court of Karnataka order, which had dismissed a petition from quarry license holder MC Rangaswamy and reinforced restrictions on deemed forest land. The court had previously ruled against the concept of deemed forests, raising concerns about environmental degradation. The Supreme Court had later validated the identification of 3.3 lakh hectares of deemed forest land in Karnataka.
Forest, Ecology, and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre has condemned the mining activities in deemed forests, stating that such operations cannot proceed in these protected areas. He has promised to issue directives to halt these activities, emphasizing the protection of vital elephant corridors and addressing growing man-animal conflicts in the region.