ENVIRONMENT ISSUES - AKHILESH CHIPPALI

Monday, 9th August 2021 

TV5 broadcasted a program entitled 'BAHUBALI", where they highlighted issues related to Environment,

Akhilesh Chippali

 Akhilesh Chippali, Environmentalist from Sagara, answering number of questions from the interviewer relating to conserving forests, birds and animals, his love for forest living organisms including plants and animals.

B V Suresh Kumar

That was also in relation to the forest he developed 'USHA KIRAN", 21-acre barren area near Amatekoppa, near Sagar. The entrepreneur B Suresh Kumar from Bangalore, purchased the land about 10 years ago, and now it has become a private forest with so many plants and animals happily surviving.

Written Tuesday, 10th August 2021

"The Hindu" - September 9, 2020, Satish G T.

Hundreds of birds, reptiles, and wild animals thrive in the forest created on 21 acres in Amatekoppa

What was once 21 acres of barren land has turned into a thick forest over the last 10 years at Amatekoppa, about 8 km from Sagar in Shivamogga district, thanks to the efforts of two friends. Hundreds of birds, reptiles, and wild animals roam in the forest created on the private land which is now covered by innumerable varieties of plants.

B.V. Suresh Kumar, who runs a software firm in Bengaluru, purchased the 21 acres by paying ₹1.5 crore in 2008. The previous owner had a Nilgiri plantation on the land, and he cut the trees before selling the land.

Mr. Kumar did not want to utilize the land for commercial purposes; he wanted to use it for public good. He approached his friend Akhilesh Chippali, an environmentalist, for suggestions. “I suggested that he create a forest on the land. He readily agreed and I took up the responsibility,” said Mr. Chippali, who also works as a physiotherapist in Sagar. He began his work in 2010 with the support of the landowner. “Initially, it was a tough task. I literally cried many days when the plants died within days of planting. The fast-growing nilgiri had emptied the nutrition in the soil,” he said. For years, he travelled to the land, about 7 km from his house at Chippali-Lingadahalli village, and observed the vegetation. The local species survived and showed signs of growth. By the fourth year, he regained confidence.

Over the years, he planted about 5,000 saplings of bamboo, honne, and many fruit-bearing species. “The number of saplings I planted is negligible considering the number of plants that grew on their own on the land. All I did was protect them with fencing and providing water using tankers during the summer,” he said.

Now, the 21 acres is a thick forest and has been named Ushakirana forest, as per the suggestion of the landowner. Mr. Kumar, happy with the forest, has been supporting monetarily to conserve it. A family stays in a house built on the land. “The owner spends nearly ₹3 lakh annually to maintain the forest,” said Mr. Chippali.

Amit Hegde, a field biologist, has made a database of fauna found in the 21-acre forest. “The study showed 159 varieties of birds, besides many reptiles, amphibians, and other wild animals in the area. We will soon be drawing up a flora database as well,” he said. This year, he has taken up construction of a tank with a capacity to hold 65 lakh litres of water.

This exercise has been applauded by many people. Interestingly, two people have come forward to create forests on their private land following this example. “An advocate friend has grown a forest on one acre of his 10-acre land at Manchale in Sagar taluk. One more has decided to follow a similar model,” Mr. Chippali said.

He has also rejuvenated two tanks in his village with the support of villagers and donors as well. Karnataka Bank has supported the tank rejuvenation activity by providing ₹7 lakh for two tanks. “We need to show the world that we can create forests and rejuvenate waterbodies even as many government policies and projects are harming the Western Ghats,” he said.