UPDATES
June 23, 2025
The Karnataka forest department launched a reclamation and replantation drive in the Kadugodi forest land, in a bid to reclaim 100 of the 711 acres that had been encroached and falls under the Kadugodi Forest survey area. The operation was carried out on the directions of Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar Khandre. Tree pits were dug to plant saplings. This exercise will continue over the next two days. The approximate value of the land recovered on June 23, 2025 is likely over ₹4,000 crore as per reports.
Campaign partner:
Demands:
Stop all ongoing constructions, encroachments on this land.
Implement Supreme Court order dated May 15, 2025 with immediate effect. It will mean handing over all 711 acres of Kadugodi forest to the Forest Department.
Investigate cases of illegal land transfers and environmental violations.
Restore and reforest the entire 711-acre area as a protected urban forest.
Hold transparent public hearings before any decisions on land use in and around forested areas.
Addressed to:
Eshwar Khandre, Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment, Karnataka
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HoFF), Karnataka Forest Department
Shri Siddaramaiah, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Karnataka
Krishna Byre Gowda, Revenue Minister
Bhupendra Yadav, Union Minister, Environment, Forest and Climate Change
The once sprawling, 711-acre Kadugodi Reserve Forest in Bengaluru’s Whitefield is being wiped out in plain sight! At the forefront of this land-grabbing, are government agencies and real estate developers, encroaching forest land without legal transparency or mandatory environmental clearances!
In 2006, a joint legislature committee was set up to look into these encroachments and it was proven that the land belongs to the government and is forest land. After extensive historical verification, it entered in the Revenue Department’s records as forest land in 2015.
Over the past few decades, more than 600 acres of land has been grabbed for commercial purposes with zero restoration efforts. Among the key players is the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB).
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court directed all the State Governments and the Union Territories to hand over the possession of the lands which are recorded as ‘Forest Land’ being in possession of the Revenue Department, to the Forest Department – adding that all such transfers should be completed within a period of one year. Further, it has also directed the formation of special Investigation Teams to investigate whether ‘forest’ land in possession of the Revenue Department has been allotted to private individuals or institutions for purposes other than forestry.
The apex court also noted in this landmark order that ‘many of the Forest Lands have been allotted to private individuals/institutions for non-forestry purposes and any such allotment after December 12, 1996, i.e., the date on which the directions were given by the Court in the proceedings, would not be sustainable in law.’
In light of the aforementioned, we demand that
The Supreme Court’s order must be implemented on the Kadugodi forest land with immediate effect.
Cases of illegal land transfers, encroachments and environment violations should be investigated.
Public hearings on future allotments and use of forest land must be conducted as they are imperative to ensure transparency and accountability.
Losing Kadugodi will wreak havoc for Bengaluru given that it’s located in Whitefield – one of the city’s most polluted and congested areas! Encroaching this last remaining green lung of the city will make air pollution worse, exacerbate the risk of flooding and make the city further vulnerable to erratic weather events.
Source:
- In the name of development: The tale of Kadugodi’s depleting green cover and a land battle
- Kadugodi plantation on road to be officially restored as a forest
- https://www.verdictum.in/pdf_upload/in-re-construction-of-multi-storeyed-buildingswatermark-1712663.pdf
- https://x.com/WhitefieldWards/status/1924244326927978641
*First, an extent of the land was declared as a government plantation in 1896. The Kadugodi forest was recognised as a state forest in 1901 under the Mysore Forests Regulations Act (1900) and was later deemed as reserved forest in 1963. In 1985 and 1987, parts of it were acquired by Karnataka government’s Commerce and Industries Department to develop the Kadugodi industrial area, ignoring the nature of the land. In 1972, more land was handed over to Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) by the Mysore reserve Police.
UPDATES
June 23, 2025
The Karnataka forest department launched a reclamation and replantation drive in the Kadugodi forest land, in a bid to reclaim 100 of the 711 acres that had been encroached and falls under the Kadugodi Forest survey area. The operation was carried out on the directions of Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar Khandre. Tree pits were dug to plant saplings. This exercise will continue over the next two days. The approximate value of the land recovered on June 23, 2025 is likely over ₹4,000 crore as per reports.
Campaign partner:
Demands:
Stop all ongoing constructions, encroachments on this land.
Implement Supreme Court order dated May 15, 2025 with immediate effect. It will mean handing over all 711 acres of Kadugodi forest to the Forest Department.
Investigate cases of illegal land transfers and environmental violations.
Restore and reforest the entire 711-acre area as a protected urban forest.
Hold transparent public hearings before any decisions on land use in and around forested areas.
Addressed to:
Eshwar Khandre, Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment, Karnataka
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (HoFF), Karnataka Forest Department
Shri Siddaramaiah, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Karnataka
Krishna Byre Gowda, Revenue Minister
Bhupendra Yadav, Union Minister, Environment, Forest and Climate Change
The once sprawling, 711-acre Kadugodi Reserve Forest in Bengaluru’s Whitefield is being wiped out in plain sight! At the forefront of this land-grabbing, are government agencies and real estate developers, encroaching forest land without legal transparency or mandatory environmental clearances!
In 2006, a joint legislature committee was set up to look into these encroachments and it was proven that the land belongs to the government and is forest land. After extensive historical verification, it entered in the Revenue Department’s records as forest land in 2015.
Over the past few decades, more than 600 acres of land has been grabbed for commercial purposes with zero restoration efforts. Among the key players is the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB).
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court directed all the State Governments and the Union Territories to hand over the possession of the lands which are recorded as ‘Forest Land’ being in possession of the Revenue Department, to the Forest Department – adding that all such transfers should be completed within a period of one year. Further, it has also directed the formation of special Investigation Teams to investigate whether ‘forest’ land in possession of the Revenue Department has been allotted to private individuals or institutions for purposes other than forestry.
The apex court also noted in this landmark order that ‘many of the Forest Lands have been allotted to private individuals/institutions for non-forestry purposes and any such allotment after December 12, 1996, i.e., the date on which the directions were given by the Court in the proceedings, would not be sustainable in law.’
In light of the aforementioned, we demand that
The Supreme Court’s order must be implemented on the Kadugodi forest land with immediate effect.
Cases of illegal land transfers, encroachments and environment violations should be investigated.
Public hearings on future allotments and use of forest land must be conducted as they are imperative to ensure transparency and accountability.
Losing Kadugodi will wreak havoc for Bengaluru given that it’s located in Whitefield – one of the city’s most polluted and congested areas! Encroaching this last remaining green lung of the city will make air pollution worse, exacerbate the risk of flooding and make the city further vulnerable to erratic weather events.
Source:
- In the name of development: The tale of Kadugodi’s depleting green cover and a land battle
- Kadugodi plantation on road to be officially restored as a forest
- https://www.verdictum.in/pdf_upload/in-re-construction-of-multi-storeyed-buildingswatermark-1712663.pdf
- https://x.com/WhitefieldWards/status/1924244326927978641
*First, an extent of the land was declared as a government plantation in 1896. The Kadugodi forest was recognised as a state forest in 1901 under the Mysore Forests Regulations Act (1900) and was later deemed as reserved forest in 1963. In 1985 and 1987, parts of it were acquired by Karnataka government’s Commerce and Industries Department to develop the Kadugodi industrial area, ignoring the nature of the land. In 1972, more land was handed over to Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB) by the Mysore reserve Police.