A report released by the Karnataka Forest Department this week estimates that approximately 4,200 hectares of forest cover in the Western Ghats have been lost between 2021 and 2026, with illegal granite quarrying, arecanut plantation expansion, and road widening projects cited as the primary drivers.

The Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s eight biodiversity hotspots, spans over 1,600 km along India’s west coast, with Karnataka accounting for a significant portion of its extent.

Key Findings

The report identifies three districts — Hassan, Chikkamagaluru, and Uttara Kannada — as having the highest rates of forest loss. Satellite imagery analysis shows fragmentation of continuous forest into isolated patches, which ecologists warn significantly reduces the viability of wildlife corridors used by elephants and leopards.

“Fragmentation is often more damaging than outright clearance,” said a senior researcher at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE). “Animals that need large territories — elephants, tigers, dholes — cannot function in isolated patches.”

Mining Encroachments

At least 37 quarrying operations were found to be operating within or adjacent to eco-sensitive zones without valid environmental clearances. The report recommends immediate suspension of these operations pending review.

Government Response

The state government has announced a task force to investigate the findings. A senior forest official said that 22 FIRs had been filed in the past year related to encroachment, though convictions remain rare.

Environmental groups have called for stronger enforcement and mandatory restoration bonds for all mining operations near forest land.