Hundreds of Trees Illegally Cut for Yash’s Toxic Movie, Forest Min Orders Action
Bengaluru – The unauthorized felling of hundreds of trees during the filming of the movie Toxic has surfaced, with satellite images reportedly capturing evidence of this significant ecological violation. In response, the Forest Department has announced intentions to pursue stringent legal action against those responsible.
On Tuesday, Karnataka’s Forest Minister, Eshwar B. Khandre, expressed his concerns in a statement on social media. “The illegal felling of trees for Toxic on forest land previously managed by HMT is deeply troubling,” Khandre said, underscoring the severity of the environmental harm caused by the deforestation.
Following this revelation, Minister Khandre visited the site, affirming his commitment to safeguarding forest resources. “Satellite imagery has exposed the scale of this unlawful activity, and I personally inspected the area on Tuesday. I have since instructed for immediate, rigorous legal measures against those accountable,” he noted, emphasizing the government’s obligation to protect the state’s forestlands.
Last Friday, forest officials, supported by personnel and JCB equipment, reclaimed five acres of land in Peenya-Jalahalli, Bengaluru, previously under HMT’s control. The Bengaluru Urban Zone team not only cleared the area but also installed signage to mark the Forest Department’s renewed jurisdiction over the space.
In line with regulations established by notifications from 1896 and 1901, the entire 599-acre Peenya Jalahalli Plantation is designated as protected forest. This classification has legal precedence under a Supreme Court mandate stipulating, “once a forest, always a forest.” To reinforce this status, Khandre also called for the withdrawal of a prior interim application that sought permission for denotification—an action inconsistent with forest preservation laws.
Meanwhile, it was revealed that HMT had transferred ownership of over 165 acres of this forest land to various private and government entities for approximately ₹300 crore. In light of this, Minister Khandre proposed that the land could instead be used to create a large green zone in North Bengaluru, mirroring well-known spaces like Lalbagh and Cubbon Park.
ಎಚ್.ಎಂ.ಟಿ. ವಶದಲ್ಲಿರುವ ಅರಣ್ಯ ಭೂಮಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ‘ಟಾಕ್ಸಿಕ್’ ಎಂಬ ಚಲನಚಿತ್ರದ ಚಿತ್ರೀಕರಣಕ್ಕಾಗಿ ನೂರಾರು ಮರಗಳನ್ನು ಅಕ್ರಮವಾಗಿ ಕಡಿದು ಹಾನಿಗೊಳಿಸಿರುವ ವಿಚಾರ ಗಂಭೀರ ಚಿಂತೆ ಮೂಡಿಸಿದೆ. ಸ್ಯಾಟೆಲೈಟ್ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳಿಂದ ಈ ಅಕ್ರಮ ಕೃತ್ಯವು ಸ್ಪಷ್ಟವಾಗಿ ಕಾಣುತ್ತಿದ್ದು, ಇಂದು ಸ್ಥಳಕ್ಕೆ ಭೇಟಿ ನೀಡಿ ಪರಿಶೀಲನೆ ನಡೆಸಿದ್ದೇನೆ. ಈ ಅಕ್ರಮ ಕೃತ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ… pic.twitter.com/yrjHhG9kLA
— Eshwar Khandre (@eshwar_khandre) October 29, 2024
