Sirsi: Forest Land Rights Agitation Vedike President Ravindra Naik said the Supreme Court’s directions on the draft notification of the Kasturi Rangan Report and declaration of Sharavathi wildlife sanctuary as the ecologically highly sensitive region will adversely impact the development of Uttara Kannada district and also put the lives of tribal people living in the district under threat.

In a press release issued here on Monday, Naik said the majority of people living in the district are dependent on forests for their livelihood. As per the draft report, nearly 35% of the district land mass has been identified as an ecologically sensitive area. This would mean all human activities have to be stopped here.

This decision will result in several people being uprooted from their homes, he charged.

He claimed that as per the draft notification 93,016 acres of forest land in Shivamogga and Uttara Kannada district will come under the Sharavathi wildlife sanctuary. Apart from this as per the supreme court orders nearly 1 km additional land from the borders of this sanctuary will be identified as ecologically sensitive areas.

The draft notification will adversely impact tourism, industry and other economical activities in the district and ultimately results in the backwardness of Uttara Kannada, he said.