Ashisara demands rethink on UNESCO tag

HASSAN: The state government has not issued licence to anyone to set up mini-hydel projects in Western Ghats, and those sanctioned by previous governments have been stayed by various courts, said Western Ghats Task Force Chairman Anant Hegde Ashisara.He told reporters after planting saplings at a programme at Rajeev College of Engineering here that the BJP government has rejected proposals of private companies to set up hydel projects in Western Ghats.Ashisara said he had urged the state government to reconsider its stand on the inclusion of the Western Ghats in the list of world heritage sites. He informed that he was trying to draw the attention of the state government towards eco-sensitive zones and endangered species in the Western Ghats. The government is keen on conserving the ghats, and I have urged for the clearing of encroachments in forests, he added. He said that the government would develop 23 forests to conserve and grow medicinal plants. Hirekallu gudda in Arsikere taluk is one of the sites for the project, he revealed.Addressing the officials of forest, agriculture and horticulture departments in the Deputy Commissioner’s office, Ashisara said that district authority will launch ‘Vraksharohana Abhiyan’ from August 15 in Hassan.During the abhiyan, more than one lakh saplings would be distributed to various organisations to plant at vacant places. The district authority will hold a solid waste management programme for a fortnight to create awareness, he added.