Students’ illegal trips to forest under lens

Belagavi: The increasing unauthorized entry of college students into the Khanapur forest has become a headache for officials of the forest department.
During weekends and holidays, these youths from Belagavi and surrounding areas organize liquor party and burn forest wood to prepare food. There are also complaints they trek in restricted areas and hurt animals.
They drive cars and bikes into the reserved forest and sometimes indulge in unethical activities.There have been instances when quarrels between inebriated students have turned severe with such cases reaching the police station. In such cases, police summon the parents and release them after advising them. But such cases need to be controlled as they are increasing by the day, says Khanapur-based environment lover Prasanna Kulkarni.
Environmentalist Lingaraj Jagajampi says the forest department is unable to take action against such youths as most of them allegedly belong to influential families. Sometimes, they use the influence of MLAs and minister to get freed. "It can't be denied some lower-level forest department officials receive bribe from students to allow them entry through the check-posts," he says.
The forest department has now come up with strict guidelines to check the menace. P K M Prashant, assistant conservator of forest (ACF), Khanapur, says the unauthorized entry of students into the forest will be regulated at the check-posts itself. "Legal action will be taken if anybody violates the restrictions. There is risk of accidents as students inadvertently go into deep water without knowing the depth and trek in dense forest. Besides, activities like liquor consumption, burning wood and throwing plastic in the forest are illegal," he says.
However, there is no bar on the entry of students for study and other genuine purposes with the permission of the DCF, says Prashant. For trekking, the department has classified the forest area into three sections – adults, women and children. The department provides guides for such trekking activities.
Prashant urged the public to cooperate with the department in protecting the forest and wild animals.