Mysuru: Forest, ecology and environment minister Eshwar B Khandre on Monday expressed his concern about the increasing incidents of human-animal conflict, particularly those involving tigers and leopards, across the state.He attributed the shrinking area of forests, the increase in concretisation activities, and the disturbance to wild animals in their habitat as some of the reasons for the growing human-animal conflict. He was speaking after inaugurating the golden jubilee celebrations of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) held at Maharaja’s College Grounds here.He suggested the need for urgent measures to mitigate such issues, like increasing afforestation activities, besides educating people about conservation. Due to the rise in temperature, global warming, and climate change issues caused by increasing deforestation activities, the nation is already witnessing landslides, floods, and heavy rain. People are dying from heat waves, and there is an urgent need to grow more trees to reduce the natural imbalance in the country to prevent such incidents, he stated.As Karnataka is gifted with bountiful forests and natural resources, there is a need to conserve and protect the environment and wildlife with united efforts by people, including those living in forest fringes, he said. As Mysuru was declared free from single-use plastic by CM Siddaramaiah, he also appealed to people to join hands with govt organisations to rid the city completely of such menace. District minister HC Mahadevappa also highlighted the contributions of former PM Indira Gandhi for the protection of environment, forest ecology, and wildlife by enacting various laws. State Pollution Control Board chairman and MLA P M Narendraswamy, MLAs G T Devegowda and Anil Chikkamadu, and MLCs Yathindra Siddaramaiah and D Thimmaiah were present.
