Authorities refute tribals claim over forest land in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve

A file photo of tribals speaking to the Forest Department officials in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve. | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

The Forest Department has refuted the claims over ancestral land by tribals from ‘Attur Kolli Haadi’ in Nagarahole Tiger Reserve on the grounds that no such hamlet is on official records.

The issue came to the fore when about 150 tribals from nearby villages and working in local estates, asserted their rights over the land on May 5 and 6, and have refused to vacate the place pending settlement of their claims under the Forest Rights Act (FRA).

Speaking to reporters, Ananya Kumar, Assistant Conservator of Forests of Nagarahole Wildlife Division, said on Saturday that around 150 tribals, including FRA applicants and other tribal leaders, ‘illegally’ entered the Attur Kolli forest area of Nagarahole range and constructed three sheds after clearing the vegetation.

Though the Forest Department personnel tried to convince the tribals to vacate the area, they refused to do so stating that they would stay inside the forest until their forest rights are recognised.

But Mr. Kumar said their claims are not supported by either historical or legal records and hence was not admissible. The Forest Department officials stated that the applications have undergone extensive scrutiny and multiple rounds of verification by the Sub-Divisional and District Level Committees (SDLC/DLC) since 2020.

It has been concluded that there is no record of a tribal hamlet named ‘Attur Kolli Haadi’ within the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, said Mr. Kumar.

The proceedings of the subdivisional level forest rights committee meeting held on May 22, 2025, conducted by Assistant Commissioner of Madikeri, records the statements of the Forest Department that there is no record of Attur Kolli Haadi.

The department provided supporting evidence that Attur Kolli forest area is a natural forest and no historical occupation, habitation, or cultivation has ever taken place in the patch of forest as claimed by applicants, Mr. Kumar said.

The authorities cited the Nagarahole National Park Management Plan (2000-2010) and pointed out that it mentions the names of 43 hamlets but there was no record of the Attur Kolli Haadi. Satellite imagery from 1985 to 2025, historical management plans, and demographic surveys from the University of Mysore were also cited to claim that no habitation or cultivation has occurred in the area.

Prior to that, on May 15, the SDLC meeting was held in Madikeri and officials submitted their petition with records, while the officials from the Integrated Tribal Development Project stated that there was no mention of ‘Attur Kolli Haadi’ in their departmental records, the authorities added.

The SDLC of FRA has also deemed that the evidence presented by the claimants was insufficient to prove historical habitation and cultivation and hence has rejected the forest rights claims pertaining to Attur Kolli forest area, according to Mr. Kumar.

Meanwhile, tribal leaders and NGOs supportive of the cause have sharply criticised the State’s response and have accused the authorities of violating the spirit and letter of FRA. The Karnataka State Human Rights Commission, which booked a suo moto case, directed the Kodagu Deputy Commissioner to conduct an inquiry which is in process and the next hearing will be held on June 10, 2025.

Published - June 07, 2025 08:06 pm IST