Strict Police and Legal Action Urged Against Land Grabbing and Illegal Encroachment in the Western Ghats
Mangaluru: Strict action is necessary against illegal land grabbing and encroachment in the Western Ghats. However, the rights of lawful residents must not be adversely affected, the Jayashree Krishna Parisara Premi Samiti, a non-governmental organisation, has urged.
The organisation said that environmental protection in the Western Ghats is of paramount importance and that the government must take strict and lawful action against illegal activities that damage forests and the environment. At the same time, it stressed that innocent villagers, farmers and lawful property owners should not be subjected to injustice in the name of environmental conservation.
Samiti founder Thonse Jayakrishna A. Shetty stated that if an investigation establishes that land has been deliberately encroached upon, fake documents have been created, land has been grabbed through fraud or threats, illegal buildings have been constructed, or organised land grabbing has taken place, such cases should be handed over to the appropriate law-enforcement agencies and police cases registered wherever necessary.
The Forest and Revenue Departments, he said, should work in coordination to verify records and scientifically identify illegal encroachments based on historical records, land ownership and land-use details, satellite imagery and physical inspections.
However, the Samiti pointed out that merely because an area falls within an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA), it would not be appropriate to treat every villager, farmer or private property owner residing there as an illegal encroacher.
Old villages, legally cultivated agricultural land, valid private properties and rights recognised under the Forest Rights Act must be separately identified and verified to ensure that they are not confused with genuine cases of illegal forest encroachment.
Similarly, satellite imagery alone should not be treated as conclusive evidence. Before any eviction or punitive action is taken, records of the Revenue and Forest Departments, historical land records, physical inspections and the lawful rights of the persons concerned must be comprehensively examined.
Need for a Transparent Investigation System
The Samiti suggested that a transparent system along the following lines could be adopted to identify illegal land encroachments in the Western Ghats:
Satellite imagery → Identification of land-use changes → Verification of Revenue and Forest records → Physical inspection → Confirmation of illegal encroachment → Appropriate legal action.
The organisation stressed that environmental protection in the Western Ghats is extremely important. At the same time, it said, equal importance must be given to protecting the rights of villagers, farmers and private property owners who have been living and carrying out their activities lawfully in these areas.
Environmental conservation and the lawful property and livelihood rights of local people are not mutually exclusive, the Samiti said. While the government must take strict action against genuine cases of illegal encroachment, land grabbing and fraud, it must also protect the rights of people living lawfully in the region.
“In the name of protecting the Western Ghats, innocent and lawful residents must not be subjected to injustice. Along with environmental protection, safeguarding social justice and lawful property rights is an equal responsibility of the government,” the organisation stated.
Referring to reports that the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, under the leadership of Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, had directed the State Government to take action in certain areas based on the report of scientist Dr Kasturirangan and satellite-based findings, Thonse Jayakrishna A. Shetty expressed concern that innocent citizens who have been residing in such areas for many years could face eviction.
He said that indiscriminate eviction measures could result in residents losing their homes, livelihoods and basic means of survival, potentially leaving families homeless.
While environmental protection is undoubtedly essential, ordinary citizens who are living lawfully in these areas or have been residing there for a long period should not be subjected to injustice in the name of environmental conservation, the Samiti said.
Against this backdrop, the Jayashree Krishna Parisara Premi Samiti strongly opposed any unilateral eviction action that adversely affects the legitimate interests of citizens.
The organisation said that the government must take effective measures, strictly within the framework of law and constitutional provisions, to prevent the unlawful occupation of government land and deal firmly with genuine cases of land grabbing and illegal encroachment.
At the same time, before carrying out any eviction, the documents, legal rights and history of residence of each individual or family must be examined separately. Eligible citizens should be provided appropriate legal protection and, wherever required under the law, alternative accommodation and rehabilitation facilities.
Protecting both the environment and the citizens’ right to livelihood is the responsibility of the government, the Samiti stated. The Jayashree Krishna Parisara Premi Samiti urged the government to take immediate and appropriate action to ensure that innocent and lawful residents are not rendered homeless while safeguarding the Western Ghats and its fragile ecosystem.