Sigandoor Temple Trust Requests 4.19 Hectares of Sanctuary Forestland for Operations

Swift Summary

• The Sigandoor Chowdeshwari temple trust in sagar taluk, Shivamogga district, Karnataka has requested 4.19 hectares of forestland on a 99-year lease for its activities.
• The proposed land lies within the Sharavathi Valley Lion Tailed Macaque Wildlife Sanctuary.
• Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari recently visited the temple after inaugurating a nearby bridge named after Sigandoor Chowdeshwari.
• In July, the trust submitted its proposal to divert the forestland to the Ministry of Surroundings, Forests, and Climate Change and approached State and national wildlife boards for their suggestion.
• The temple has already constructed buildings – including dining halls, guest houses, toilets – on forestland without prior approval. These constructions were admitted by the applicant as unauthorized.
• For compensatory afforestation in return for diverted land, 4.44 hectares of private lands in Barangi hobli have been offered to the Forest Department by Ramappa, managing trustee of Shree Sigandoor Chowdamma Devi Trust.
• A writ petition against this encroachment is pending in Karnataka High Court; previous allegations claimed nearly 20 acres were encroached upon by the trust since at least 2020.
• Deputy Conservator of Forests (wildlife) Prasanna Krishna Patagar is scrutinizing this proposal; further action depends on government discretion.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The request by a private religious trust to formalize its use of encroached forestland raises critical questions regarding environmental conservation versus infrastructural progress linked to cultural heritage sites. While compensatory afforestation is being proposed as an offset measure for potential ecological damage caused by reclaiming protected wildlife sanctuary areas, such moves can set precedents that may challenge India’s commitment toward safeguarding biodiverse zones like Sharavathi Valley.

The matter gains gravity given India’s ongoing efforts to strike a balance between religious tourism and environmental sustainability. This case underscores judicial involvement (pending writ petition) alongside regulatory scrutiny led by conservation authorities-a necessary but complicated task that involves assessing potential impact not only on endangered species like lion-tailed macaques but also broader eco-preservation goals aligned with global recommendations.

Pragmatic policymaking will hinge heavily on transparent reviews conducted across wildlife governance frameworks while actively discouraging recurring instances of unapproved developments over india’s reserved forests bordering sanctuaries vital concerning biodiversity benchmarks globally-Raely balancing Faith ..eco logic!! ​For additional details Visit>