Dharwad | Nov 24, 2016: The decision of the state government to withdraw the 'protected forest' tag accorded to Kappatagudda has not gone well with environmentalists and people in the surrounding region. People in Gadag district have already registered their protest against the decision and are planning a massive agitation.

Head of Tontadarya Mutt Siddalinga Swami has also taken up the issue with the chief minister and has written to Siddramaiah to ensure that the tag continues.

The state government had declared Kappatagudda as the conservation reserve forest in December 2015. However, in September this year it withdrew the tag after a decision to this effect was taken a meeting of the Karnataka Wildlife Board headed by chief minister Siddaramaiah.

Declaring Kappatagudda as conservation reserve forest had prevented mining activities in the hills.

The Western Ghats Task Force former chairman Anant Hegde Ashisar said the proposal submitted to the government urging it to declare Kappatagudda as wildlife sanctuary when he was the task force chairman had no provisions for evacuating the families in the hill areas. The objective of the proposal was to prevent mining and not farming. Wildlife status for Kappatagudda is in the interest of farmers as it helps preserve water sources and other natural resources in the mountain ranges, he said.

Environmentalists suspect that the windmill lobby is behind the government's decision to withdraw the conservation reserve tag.

In Gajendragad of Ron taluk in Gadag district, members of Karnataka Rakshana Vedike took out a protest march in the town on Monday and warned the government of intensifying stir if it did not retract from its decision during the Belagavi session. The protesters pointed out that the high court, in 2013, had decreed that no mining, windmill power generation activity should be allowed in Kappatagudda and alleged that the state government was violating the court's direction.

In Mundargi town also, various organizations have launched severe protests against the state government's decision.

(Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/)