Demand for Uttarakhand-like legislation for Western Ghats on outsiders buying farmland

Stakeholders say unregulated commercial activity in the Western Ghats contributes to deforestation, water depletion, pollution, and loss of habitat for countless species.
| Photo Credit: file photo

Will tightening the norms on the purchase of farmland help in conserving the Western Ghats? This is a question being raised in Karnataka following Uttarakhand’s land law amendment with stringent provisions pertaining to the purchase and sale of agricultural/horticulture and residential land by non-residents in 11 hill districts.

Residents of districts in the Western Ghats and environmentalists have demanded the Karnataka government too bring in a similar legislation applicable to the sale of land in the region.

Letter to CM

Sahadev S.H., an environmentalist from Chikkamagaluru, has written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre: “It has been increasingly observed that individuals and entities from outside Karnataka are acquiring land in the Western Ghats region solely for commercial purposes such as constructing hotels, resorts, and homestays. These developments often disregard the delicate biodiversity and environmental balance of the region. Unregulated commercial activity contributes to deforestation, water depletion, pollution, and loss of habitat for countless species.”

“The Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are not only a treasure trove of biodiversity but also a critical water source and climate stabiliser. It is imperative that we take strong legal measures to preserve this natural heritage for future generations. I request the government of Karnataka to study the recent steps taken by Uttarakhand and enact a similar Bill to regulate and restrict land purchases by outsiders in ecologically sensitive areas of the Western Ghats. This will ensure that the region’s ecological integrity is maintained and protected from commercial exploitation,” he said.

T.V. Ramachandra from the Indian Institute of Science concurred, saying: “It is implementable and we need to do it as early as possible. Hope our decision makers understand the need to preserve ecologically fragile regions to sustain water and other natural resources, and more importantly to sustain livelihood of local people.”

However, others say it may not be an easy process. Seshadri K.S., faculty, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Bengaluru, said while the sentiment is understandable, banning land purchase will not solve the issue and will be riddled with challenges.

“First off, how does one prove one is not a non-resident, or how does one circumvent the problem where a resident has gone out of the State or country and has made money to invest in the purchase of land and convert it to non-agricultural or non-forest purposes? If we have learned anything from history, it is that a ban will only make way for finding clever loopholes,” he said.

The Karnataka government pushed back on the eco-sensitive area identified by the Madhavi Gadgil Report and got another committee by the late K. Kasturirangan, which downsized Gadgil’s recommendation, and yet, the report has not been implemented. The primary reason for the pushback and delay is the conflict between nature and development, he said.

“Irrespective of the development aspirations, it is a fact that one cannot exist without nature. In this broader context, yes, rampant land use change is a problem in the Western Ghats, which is home to an incredible diversity of lifeforms, many of which are restricted to small hilltops. The government and the residents would have better success if they instead were to focus on regulating the impact. For instance, there are several swathes of revenue land which are forested, and they are often purchased for building resorts which adds to the pressures on the landscape,” he said.

Offering an example, he said G.N. Ashokavardhana, publisher of ATHREE books, Mangaluru, has shown one way for reigning in this impact. He joined hands with the late Krishna Mohan Prabhu, surgeon and environmentalist, and purchased a revenue land parcel abutting the Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary. Over the last two decades, this forest has recovered and forms a conduit for wildlife movement. The land had been earmarked for a resort, and now, the wildlife is conserved as a private forest.

“I would like to bring up another instance which may pave the way in the Ghats. Purushotam Adve, a renowned artist, has been spearheading the local community in the foothills of Kudremukh to not sell off their ancestral homes and move away. He has established Mannapapu Mane, which hosts visitors, conducts workshops for children and adults in a century-old heritage house. He has been urging the neighbours to retain the old homes and is even helping them refurbish the houses,” he added.

Unconventional solutions

There is a need to open our minds to unconventional solutions to find the middle ground to protect ecologically sensitive areas and also navigate the developmental aspirations, said Mr. Seshadri, adding that at a landscape scale, the administration could explore ways of offering protection to forests by recognising areas such as sacred groves as Community Conservation Reserves and ensure protection.

“Many of the forested areas notified as State forests could be upgraded and annexed to existing protected areas, provided the rights of local communities are accommodated where possible. Unfortunately, a ban is not going to be the magic bullet and one must be forced to think long and hard and identify hyperlocal models of conservation,” he concluded.