Anil Kumble to be named Forest and Wildlife ambassador: Karnataka minister
Anil Kumble
will be nominated as the
Forest and Wildlife Ambassador
, Forest, Biology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre said on Tuesday. Addressing reporters, Khandre said Anil Kumble, who previously served as Vice-President of the Karnataka Wildlife Board, is of world-class fame and will help create awareness among the public about
forest conservation
, forest development, tree preservation, and
wildlife conservation
.
"Anil Kumble has an immense concern for wildlife. He loves forests. Hence, he has agreed to become an ambassador without receiving any remuneration," Khandre said.
As Tuesday marked his two years as Forest Minister, Khandre also shared a glimpse of his achievements and future plans.
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Khandre said that in the last two years, about 8,848 'vanamahotsavas' have been held, and approximately 8.5 crore saplings have been planted and nurtured in forest areas, along roadsides, and on government land.
In the years 2023-24 and 2024-25, a total of 1,20,975 hectares of plantations, 25 new arboretums, and 35 forests have been developed, he added.
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Khandre also said that in the last two years, a total of 3.70 crore saplings have been distributed to farmers for planting in their own fields and elsewhere.
The minister said the state government has decided to build another major park on 153 acres in Madappanahalli near Yelahanka.
"Lalbagh in Bengaluru was built during the time of Hyder Ali; Cubbon Park was built during the British era. Even after a century, another large park has not been built in Bengaluru. Therefore, after I became the Forest Minister, the 153 acres of land that had been given to the Karnataka Forest Development Corporation for growing Nilgiri will be taken back by the Forest Department on June 2, and a park will be built there," he said.
The foundation stone for the park will be laid in two months, Khandre told reporters.
The minister expressed concern that forest land in Bengaluru has been encroached upon for decades. In the last two years, 128 acres of encroached forest land have been cleared.
According to him, the market value of the cleared land is around Rs 4,000 crore.
Khandre alleged that the central government-owned HMT has been completely barred from selling 444 acres of forest land-worth about Rs 14,300 crore, that it holds to various organisations, including real estate companies.
"It has been decided to reclaim this forest land and preserve it as a park, and a legal battle has been launched. A petition is currently being heard in the Supreme Court," he said.
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Repetitive triggers make it harder to control street dogs' exposure to these stressors," Sharma AS A TOOL TO TRAIN AND MANAGE STREET DOGSFeeding is one of the most effective ways to tame aggression in street dogs, trainers and behaviourists told India Today Digital. Most fights or biting incidents happen because of the dearth of food, they said. Another cause is territorial fights triggered when dogs are picked up from one area and relocated to another, something activists have long blamed municipal corporations explained, "I have noticed that, over a long period of regular feeding, some form of desensitisation happens." By this, she means that if food is given regularly by multiple humans, dogs begin to see their association with people as positive and eventually become less reactive. Experts suggest if food is given regularly to a dog by multiple humans, they begin to see their association with humans as a positive one. (Image for representation: PTI) In some societies, she said, dogs displaying mild aggression were also given behavioural modification through structured feeding. "We also asked feeders to alter feeding times, so the dogs don't have to interact with people during busy hours, such as when children are boarding or getting off school buses," said added, "People around must be aware of the dogs' temperament. We have run awareness drives, instructing security guards, shopkeepers, and residents to warn people about certain dogs who don't like too much human interaction."On whether community dogs can be fully trained, she said, "To an extent, yes. 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(Image for representation: PTI) In areas where training and routines were maintained, "dogs became calmer, friendlier, and less reactive", said most trainers India Today Digital spoke to said the problem is multi-layered and cannot be solved through training alone, they agreed it can be part of the solution, especially in areas where animal lovers are ready to take stray dogs isn't just about curbing aggression. It's about creating safer streets for people and giving these animals a chance to coexist peacefully in the spaces they share with humans. From a policy perspective, involving canine behaviourists and allocating budgets for training dogs to manage aggression is one way to address the dog menace across India.- EndsTune InMust Watch advertisement
