Mass tree felling for solar plant sparks outrage in Belagavi, locals allege minister’s support

Belagavi: Large-scale destruction of trees in the name of constructing a solar power plant has triggered massive anger among villagers in Badala Ankalagi village of Belagavi taluk.

The area, which falls under the home constituency of Women and Child Development Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar, is historically significant and ecologically rich. According to local history, freedom fighter Sangolli Rayanna had once stayed at this very Kauri hill.

The hill is home to sandalwood trees, teak plantations and a variety of birds and animals. However, over the past one and a half months, the hill has been continuously dug up using heavy machinery and thousands of trees have reportedly been cut down.

Villagers claim that despite their repeated objections, the work has continued without proper permissions. Farmers allege that whenever they tried to stop the work, they were threatened, and the workers temporarily fled only to return later with JCB machines.

So far, more than 40 acres of land has been severely damaged. Local residents say that sandalwood, teak and several fruit-bearing trees, along with the habitat of many birds including peacocks, have been destroyed in the process.

The sudden deforestation in such a sensitive area has raised serious environmental concerns. Angry villagers have accused Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar of being aware of the project and alleged that such large-scale destruction could not have taken place without political support.

“This is happening in the minister’s own constituency. How can she not know about it? Either she is ignoring it or this is happening with her backing,” farmers alleged. After media reports highlighted the issue, officials from the Forest Department and HESCOM rushed to the spot for inspection.

It was revealed that permission for setting up the solar plant had been granted by Tahsildar Basavaraj Nagaral on 67 acres of government grazing land (gairana) in survey number 359. The project is being implemented by the Energy Department under the PM Kusum feeder-level solarisation scheme.

Although the land technically belongs to the Revenue Department, it contains dense forest vegetation. HESCOM had reportedly written to the Forest Department two months ago seeking permission to cut trees, but no formal approval was granted.

Despite this, trees were felled and work began. When questioned, HESCOM officials claimed that they had received “oral permission” from forest officials, a claim that has raised further suspicion.

During the inspection, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Nagaraj strongly questioned HESCOM officials and warned them against misleading explanations. Farmers who gathered at the site demanded strict action against those responsible for cutting trees without permission.

ACF Nagaraj assured that a detailed report would be submitted to higher authorities and appropriate legal action would be taken against the guilty. The Belagavi district administration has also taken the matter seriously and launched an investigation into how such large-scale deforestation occurred without proper clearance.

Thousands of trees have already been destroyed, and the big question now remains – who is responsible and whether the guilty will be punished. Local residents are waiting to see if justice will be delivered and if the remaining green cover of the hill can be saved.

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