Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary Mining Proposals Rejected

#GS-3 #Environment #Biodiversity #Protected Areas #Wildlife Sanctuary #Karnataka #Current Events #National

Key takeaways

The Karnataka State Board for Wildlife rejected four stone quarrying proposals near the Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary in Gadag district.
These proposed stone quarries were located between 422 to 997 metres away from the sanctuary boundaries, violating the strict 1-kilometre Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) rules.
The core area of the Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary spans 244.15 sq km with a notified Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of 423.7 sq km.
This sanctuary is home to over 400 medicinal and aromatic plant species and supports native wildlife like leopards, blackbucks, and Indian grey wolves.

The Karnataka State Board for Wildlife rejected four stone quarrying proposals near the Kappatagudda Wildlife Sanctuary in Gadag district.
These proposed quarries were located between 422 to 997 metres of the sanctuary boundaries.
This decision strictly upholds mining bans within the 1-kilometre Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ).

This prominent wildlife reserve sits along the hill ranges of the Deccan Plateau.
People often call it the Western Ghats of North Karnataka or the Sahyadri of North Karnataka because rich plants grow here despite the semi-arid surroundings.
The sanctuary covers Gadag district in northern Karnataka across four taluks named Gadag, Mundargi, Shirahatti, and adjoining tracts.
The core sanctuary area measures 244.15 sq km while the surrounding notified Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) spans 423.7 sq km.

Authorities first declared this area a Conservation Reserve in 2015.
Mining pressures caused officials to de-notify the reserve briefly, which sparked strong protests from local communities, environmentalists, and spiritual leaders.
Public protests and court intervention led to its re-notification in 2017.
The government upgraded the status to a Wildlife Sanctuary in May 2019.
A final Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) notification was issued in June 2025.

The sanctuary is home to over 400 medicinal and aromatic plant species, which connects its reputation to the mythological Sanjeevini Parvata.
It protects dry grassland and scrubland animals, including Indian grey wolves, striped hyenas, leopards, blackbucks, chinkaras, four-horned antelopes, and Bengal foxes.
The region acts as a vital watershed in North Karnataka, helping groundwater recharge and feeding the Tungabhadra River basin.
Ancient greenstone formations, quartz veins, and iron-rich rocks make this mineral-rich landscape vulnerable to mining and industrial pressures.

The sanctuary functions as a green lung for drought-prone North Karnataka by protecting wildlife, regulating temperatures, and stopping land degradation.
This event shows how important Eco-Sensitive Zone rules are for stopping harmful industrial work near protected animal habitats.