Honoured for its fragrant legacy, Karnataka leads India in sandalwood output. On Bidar district’s Honnikeri Hill, roughly 1,776 acres flourish with hundreds of thousands of these prized trees. Forest teams patrol daily, nurturing and defending the groves.
To strengthen protection, the department has introduced “SiriGhand,” a scheme that surrounds sandal‑rich zones with multi‑lane wire barriers and assigns dedicated rangers. Three specially trained Muddhul hounds now aid in tracking and catching timber poachers.
Around 19 km of fencing already encircles Honnikeri’s plantations, and officers maintain round‑the‑clock watch, underscoring the state’s pledge to conserve its “green gold.”
Officials also urge cultivators to raise sandalwood on private holdings. Across Bidar’s taluks, farmers have set 50,000 saplings in the ground; the young trees are thriving.
One enthusiast, Mohammad Jaffar of Chitta village, has devoted seven acres to a mixed orchard of 1,500 sandalwood trees alongside mango, hibiscus, banana, and papaya. He projects that, in about a decade, mature sandalwood alone could fetch ₹10–15 crore, demonstrating the crop’s lucrative promise when coupled with sustainable stewardship.
Through vigilant guarding, canine patrols, and farmer outreach, “SiriGhand” aims to preserve Karnataka’s sandalwood heritage while opening fresh income streams for rural communities.
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