Increase forest area in Karnataka to 33% to fight climate change: CM
The Hindu
Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah urges to increase forest area to 33% of total land area to fight climate change. Drought, water crisis & crop damage affect State's GDP & per capita income. Increasing forest area can help prevent extreme weather conditions.
Out of total land area of the Karnataka, only about 20% is forest area and efforts should be made to expand it to at least 33%, which is crucial to fight climate change, said Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.
“We are facing problems due to scarce rain this year. Situations like Cauvery water issue, drought, and shortage in food production have arisen. This affects the State’s GDP and per capita income. This time, 50% crop has been damaged in 40 lakh hectares,” he said, speaking at the Chief Minister’s Medal Presentation Ceremony organised by the Karnataka Forest Department at the Vidhana Soudha on Friday.
He said that a drought situation occurs every four to five years, and if the forest area increases, it is possible to prevent such extreme weather conditions.
“We are judges and therefore, cannot act like Mughals of a bygone era ... the writ courts in the guise of doing justice cannot transcend the barriers of law,” the High Court of Karnataka observed while setting aside an order of a single judge, who in 2016 had extended the lease of a public premises allotted to a physically challenged person to 20 years contrary to 12-year period stipulated in the law.
The High Court of Karnataka on Monday declined to interfere, at present, in the investigation against a Bharatiya Janata Party worker, who is among the accused persons facing charges of circulating obscene clips, related to “morphed” images and videos clips related to Prajwal Revanna, former Hassan MP, in public domain through pen drives and other modes.