In the northern region of Karnataka, where the urban sprawl of Bidar and the rural expanse of Gulbarga meet, a quiet yet determined battle for the environment was fought. At the forefront of this battle was Vaanathi Murugesan, a 2012-batch Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, who took on the monumental task of reclaiming forest lands encroached upon for decades.
As the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bidar Division, she not only retrieved 1905 acres of forest land, including 104 acres of Reserve Forest near Bidar city but also initiated a massive plantation drive to restore the green cover. Her efforts reflect a blend of resilience, strategic thinking, and empathy in navigating the complex web of law, livelihood, and environmental conservation.
THE ENCROACHMENT CRISIS
The challenge began with a simple yet powerful piece of paper—a gazetted government notification accompanied by a map with clearly demarcated boundaries. This map revealed a harsh reality: large swaths of forest land had been encroached upon, some since 1990.
Farmers in nearby areas, driven by the desire for more land, had extended their holdings beyond legal limits. What made the situation even more alarming was the encroachment in urban areas, where valuable forest land had been illegally occupied, subdivided into plots, and sold with fraudulent documents.
Vaanathi Murugesan understood that reclaiming these lands would not only be a legal battle but also a social one. The encroachers were not just faceless entities; they were people with livelihoods, homes, and stories.
In urban areas, the victims were often innocent buyers who had been scammed by land grabbers. In rural areas, the encroachers were landless farmers, entirely dependent on the occupied land for survival.
THE STRATEGY FOR RECLAMATION
The first step in this arduous process was to establish the truth. Vaanathi and her team began boundary perambulation based on the map, conducting a joint survey to identify encroachments. Notices were issued, requiring the encroachers to present all relevant documents. This was followed by a 15-day period during which the encroachers were asked to vacate the land. Those who failed to comply faced eviction by the forest department.
“Along with the revenue and forest department, we did a joint survey to make the farmers understand that this land falls under the government and is not theirs to encroach upon. They argued that they had the land for the past three decades and the forest department can’t simply come and take it away from them, which caused several hurdles in our way,” she told Indian Masterminds.
The process was far from straightforward. In urban areas, law and order issues arose as innocent people who had purchased plots with fake documents protested the demolitions. Vaanathi had to navigate the delicate balance between enforcing the law and addressing the grievances of those who had been duped. Her approach was systematic—every survey was meticulous, and every document was thoroughly examined before any demolition took place.
“We caught hold of such land-grabbing scammers and told him to settle up with the people he had scammed. The person was asked to either give them a legal plot somewhere else or return the money. He finally agreed and liked that we dealt with so many such cases, and took our land back,” she shared.
In rural areas, the situation was even more complex. Here, the encroachers were not just illegal occupants but people with no alternative means of livelihood. Evicting them was not merely a legal issue but a humanitarian one. Vaanathi recognized the need for political support and worked closely with local representatives, providing them with all necessary documentation to ensure a smooth process.
CHALLENGES AND COMPASSION
Despite her best efforts, the eviction process was fraught with challenges. As homes were demolished, many families were left homeless. Vaanathi worked tirelessly to secure alternative housing for them through government schemes, coordinating with the district administration.
Yet, the reality was harsh—while homes could be provided, land could not. Farmers who had been cultivating the land for years were left with no place to go.
Throughout this process, Vaanathi displayed a rare combination of firmness and empathy. She enforced the law, but she did so with a deep understanding of the human cost involved. Her focus remained not just on reclaiming the land but also on ensuring that those affected were not left to fend for themselves.
GREENING THE RECLAIMED LAND
Once the land was reclaimed, Vaanathi wasted no time in restoring its ecological balance. Extensive plantation work was immediately undertaken in the evicted areas. Her approach was swift and efficient—once the eviction was completed, pitting work for new trees began almost immediately. The goal was clear: to ensure that the land would be green again with the coming monsoon.
“As per our national forest policy, it is mandated to have 33% of the forest in the country. Karnataka already has 21% forests but in the area where I work, it is a completely dry region with only 5-6% forest and if then also, we are losing so much of land in encroachment, it becomes difficult,” she told Indian Masterminds.
Under her leadership, over 850 acres of encroached land were reclaimed last year, and another 1000 acres are targeted for recovery this year. Her efforts have not only reclaimed lost forest land but have also set an example of how environmental conservation can be pursued with both determination and compassion.
A LEGACY OF RESTORATION
Vaanathi Murugesan’s work in Bidar is a testament to the impact that a dedicated and empathetic officer can have on both the environment and the community. Her efforts in reclaiming forest land and initiating large-scale plantation drives have breathed new life into the region’s ecology. More importantly, she has shown that even in the face of legal and social complexities, it is possible to enforce the law while upholding humanity.
Her journey is far from over, but her achievements so far have laid a strong foundation for the future. As more land is reclaimed and more trees take root, the forests of Bidar will once again thrive, thanks to the relentless efforts of one IFS officer who dared to make a difference.
