The Forest Department in Karnataka has asked several families in Yadamane village, Sagar taluk to vacate land they have farmed for decades. This has caused worry among the residents. The families moved to Yadamane in the 1960s after leaving their original land because of the Linganmakki Dam construction on the Sharavathi River. The Range Forest Officer sent eviction notices based on an order given in 2013 by the Assistant Conservator of Forests. The Forest Department had filed cases against these families as early as 1998 for encroaching forest land. Over the years, the families have grown crops like areca and paddy. Politicians from both Congress and BJP visited the families to show support. Former Minister Hartal Halappa said, “They are not encroachers of the forest area. They gave up their land for the construction of the Linganmakki Dam and moved out. Now, they are being forced to move out again. Where will they go, leaving behind the land they have cultivated for decades?” He added the families are small farmers with less than three acres each, and urged the government to protect them. Farmers’ groups plan protests against the Forestry Department. Shivanand Kugve of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha said the notices shocked farmers and accused officers of harassment. Lawyer K.P. Sripal noted some families had already left in fear. When contacted, Deputy Conservator of Forests Prasanna Krishna Patagar said the actions follow legal procedures under the Karnataka Forest Act. He stated no forcible eviction is planned, and officers have talked to families, some willing to move due to lack of facilities and wild animal damage without compensation.