August 7, 2025

Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre is shaking things up in Karnataka's forests! He has asked forest officials to visit villages near forests every month. The goal? To hear villagers' complaints and fix their problems quickly. At a State Wildlife Board meeting, he said, “Officers holding the ranks of Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) and Range Forest Officers should hold meetings once a month, listen to the grievances of villagers and take steps to resolve them.” Mr. Khandre emphasized that officials must visit places where people face troubles like crop damage or loss of life due to wild animals. “Listen to villagers,” he said. He wants good relations between forest staff and local people. The Minister also raised alarms about serious wildlife losses. Five tigers died in the M.M. Hills, and wild elephants suffered deaths after touching illegal electric fences. He believes these tragedies can be stopped if senior forest officials regularly check how forest zones are managed and encourage their teams. On infrastructure, the Minister discussed the plan to double the railway track from Hosapete to Castle Rock. He stressed the need to protect wildlife and nature while doing this work. The measures to reduce the impact on biodiversity will be shared in the next meeting. Here’s some exciting news: Karnataka is about to get its first marine sanctuary! The Mugli-Apsarakonda Marine Sanctuary, covering 5,959 hectares near Honnavar in Uttara Kannada district, will be officially launched in September. The State Cabinet approved this in June, and it was earlier cleared by the Karnataka State Board for Wildlife. With these fresh moves, Minister Eshwar Khandre is making sure both nature and people live peacefully together. Forest villagers will finally have a voice, and Karnataka’s wildlife is getting new protection. Watch this space for more updates!

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Tags: Eshwar khandre, Forest officials, Wildlife, Man-animal conflict, Marine sanctuary, Mugli-apsarakonda,