Mullayyanagiri Hills
Context
High Court of Karnataka has issued a legal notice to the State government regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition to protect the Mullayyanagiri Hills.
- The petition seeks to formally declare the highly fragile ecosystem in the Chikkamagaluru district as a “conservation reserve” under Section 36A of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
- A recent report by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) officially declared the Mullayyanagiri and Chandradrona ranges as active landslide danger zones due to severe deforestation and unregulated construction.
- Delayed Protection: A draft proposal was made in 2018 to declare 14,183 acres of the hills as a conservation reserve, but authorities never finalized it.
- Ecological Vulnerability: The delay has allowed unregulated tourism and construction activities to continue, accelerating ecological damage.
- Landslide Danger: A recent report by the Geological Survey of India classified the Mullayyanagiri and Chandradrona ranges as active danger zones prone to frequent landslides due to heavy deforestation.
About Mullayyanagiri
- Highest Peak: Mullayyanagiri is the highest peak in Karnataka.
- Elevation: It stands at an altitude of 1,930 metres (6,330 feet) above sea level.
- Geographical Range: It is situated in the Chandra Drona Hill Ranges of the Western Ghats.
- Location: It is located in the Chikkamagaluru district (approximately 16 km from Chikkamagaluru town).
- Regional Context: It is recognized as the fourth-highest peak between the Nilgiri Hills and the Himalayas (following Vavulmala, Chembra Peak, and Banasura Hill).
About Conservation reserve
- Statutory Framework: Conservation Reserves are established under Section 36A of the Wild Life (Protection) Act (WLPA), 1972 (amended in 2002).
- Definition: They are state-owned areas adjacent to National Parks or Wildlife Sanctuaries, or areas that link one protected area with another, acting as ecological corridors.
- Objective: To protect landscapes, seascapes, flora, fauna, and their traditional habitats through institutional conservation.
Characteristics & Administrative Framework
- Declaration Authority: The State Government declares a Conservation Reserve after consulting with local communities.
- Land Ownership: The land must be entirely owned by the Government. (If it includes private or community land, it is declared a Community Reserve under Section 36C).
- Management Committee: Managed by a Conservation Reserve Management Committee. This includes local forest officers, representatives from Panchayats, NGO members, and wildlife experts to ensure community participation.
- Rights of Locals: Unlike National Parks, local people’s rights are not extinguished. Traditional activities like sustainable grazing or collection of non-timber forest produce are generally allowed if they do not harm wildlife.
Feature | National Park | Wildlife Sanctuary | Conservation Reserve | Community Reserve |
Legal Status | WLPA, 1972 | WLPA, 1972 | WLPA, 1972 (Sec 36A) | WLPA, 1972 (Sec 36C) |
Land Ownership | Government | Gov / Private | Government owned | Private / Community |
Human Activity | Strictly Prohibited | Regulated / Allowed | Regulated / Allowed | Regulated / Allowed |
PM KUSUM-B scheme
Context
The Karnataka Energy Department has achieved a major milestone under the PM KUSUM-B scheme, receiving over 1.05 lakh farmer applications for standalone solar-powered agricultural pumpsets.
- Pumpsets Installed: Over 27,700 solar agricultural pump sets have already been commissioned across 31 districts, tracking toward a targeted 40,000 units.
- Financial Savings: The initiative saves ₹200 crore annually by slashing electricity subsidies paid for agricultural irrigation.
- Grid Relief: Demand on the traditional power grid has decreased by nearly 144 MW
- Power Purchase Reduction: Escoms (Electricity Supply Companies) are expected to avoid purchasing around 240 million units of electricity each year, saving approximately ₹146 crore.
- Farmer Welfare: Moving away from grid-dependent irrigation gives farmers reliable, daytime power. This eliminates the safety hazards of visiting fields late at night to operate older irrigation pump sets.
Financial Breakdown & Cost Sharing
- 50% State Subsidy: Funded directly by the Government of Karnataka.
- 30% Central Subsidy: Provided by the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).
- 20% Farmer Contribution: The remaining share paid out-of-pocket by the beneficiary.
About PM KUSUM-B scheme
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)
- Launch Year: 2019 (Extended with a target timeline up to March 31, 2026).
- Primary Philosophy: Transitioning farmers from “Annadata to Urjadata” (Food providers to Energy providers)
- Overall Target: Addition of 34,800 MW of decentralized solar capacity
- Component-A: Setting up 10,000 MW of grid-connected solar/renewable power plants on barren or fallow land by farmers, cooperatives, or panchayats.
- Component-B: Installation of 20 lakh standalone (off-grid) solar-powered agricultural pumpsets to drive deep “de-dieselisation” in rural clusters lacking power line infrastructure.
- Component-C: Solarisation of 15 lakh grid-connected pumps. This includes individual pump solarisation (IPS) and feeder-level solarisation, allowing farmers to sell surplus power back to DISCOMs.
Great Indian Bustard (GIB)
Context
Recent sightings of the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB) in the eastern plains of Karnataka including Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, and Ballari have sparked a major conservation ray of hope.
- The state is now working to establish secure, protected grassland habitats to facilitate the future reintroduction and revival of the species.
Challenges
- Habitat Fragmentation: The species generally requires expansive, contiguous, 300-400 square-kilometer protected grassland patches that are strictly isolated from excessive human interference and predators.
- Power Line Collisions: Overhead transmission lines are a leading cause of mortality for the heavy-bodied, low-vision GIBs, requiring significant structural interventions across the birds’ flight paths.
- Low Breeding Rates: GIBs naturally lay just one egg at a time, rendering population recovery highly fragile and slow.
- Ex-situ Reintroduction Needs: To reliably rebuild Karnataka’s local population, officials are closely evaluating plans to eventually bring in captive-reared second-generation chicks from the Desert National Park breeding center in Rajasthan
About Great Indian Bustard (GIB)
- Type: One of the heaviest flying birds in the world.
- Flagship Species: Serves as an indicator of the health of grassland ecosystems.
- Endemic Range: Historically widespread across India and Pakistan; currently 90% of the population is restricted to the Thar Desert in Rajasthan. Small, isolated populations exist in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.
- State Bird: It is the state bird of Rajasthan.
Protection
- IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
- CITES: Appendix I
- Wildlife Protection Act (1972): Schedule I (Highest protection status)
- CMS (Bonn Convention): Appendix I (Coordinated international protection)