In an attempt to protect endangered bats, Karnataka to relocate locals from bordering village of Talewadi

Keri: Karnataka has initiated the process of relocating 27 families from Talewadi which have voluntarily decided to come out and settle in the Khanapur area. Situated on the ancient ghat route to Goa, Talewadi was known for the weekly market that once attracted traders and merchants on the way to Goa—Belgaum old route passing through Kelghat.Soon, this village will become a protected habitat for the Wroughton’s free-tailed bats. Talewadi, a village near Mendil in Khanapur, lies in the core area of the Bhimgad wildlife sanctuary, which shares a border with the Mhadei wildlife sanctuary of Sattari in Goa.There are 13 villages in the Bhimgad wildlife sanctuary, which is home to 754 families. In the first phase, 27 families were given Rs 10 lakh each, and an additional Rs 5 lakh will be provided by the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority of Karnataka after the completion of the relocation process.Out of 13 villages, eight lie in the core area. Of these eight villages, residents of six villages are voluntarily willing to relocate outside the protected forests but within Khanapur taluka.The British ecologist S H Prater discovered in 1912 the presence of Wroughton’s free-tailed bats (Otomops Wroughtoni) inside the Barapeda caves in Talewadi. This is the only place in the world where these critically endangered and endemic bats are found, besides tigers, leopards, gaurs, sloth bears, sambars, barking deer, and king cobras.

Vithal Halagekar, MLA of Khanapur, said, “Govt should take all necessary steps before relocating the families of Talewadi. The majority of the villagers have been involved in agriculture and pastoral activities and have been struggling for the last decade for basic amenities.”Recently, the forest, ecology and environment minister Ishwar Khandre distributed cheques as a part of govt’s relocation package.