Farmers forgo their land for Kudremukh Park in Dakshina Kannada

Mangaluru: With 68 families voluntarily deciding to move out of the Kudremukh National Park and opt for rehabilitation, nearly  a 100 acres have been added to this protected area in Dakshina Kannada district over  the last six years.

Several of the families decided to move out  owing to the lack of basic facilities and the constant threat from wild animals in the forests. Although 109 families have  offered   to move out, only 68 have been provided compensation and rehabilitation so far and applications of the remaining 41 families are pending.

Since 2009-10, the government has provided '12.22 crore as compensation to the families, whose leaving has left the park with 96.14 acres for the wildlife it protects. “Nobody is forced to move out of the forests. We consider only those applications that are voluntary,” says Range Forest Officer, Shrinath.

Plantations  of banana, arecanut and coffee owned by the locals who leave,   are  removed by the forest department. But mango and jackfruit trees are allowed to remain.

Those  waiting to move out say the delay in releasing funds for compensation by the  government is holding up the process and point out that only three families were rehabilitated and provided compensation in 2015-16.