The Campaign in Numbers

Karnataka’s Legal Services Drive Plants 25 Lakh Saplings – A Call for Youth‑Led Forest Guardianship

Principal District and Sessions Judge Manjunatha G.A. inaugurated the Afforestation and Lake Rejuvenation Campaign‑2026 in Shivamogga on 14 July 2026, pledging the planting of over 25 lakh saplings and a five‑year stewardship plan. The judge urged students and citizens to act “like soldiers” in protecting forest wealth, echoing concerns over rising human‑animal conflict and deteriorating water quality.

The Karnataka State Legal Services Authority (KSLSA) partnered with the Forest Department, the District Legal Services Authority and local NGOs to launch the dual‑track effort.

• ▸25 lakh saplings slated for planting across Shivamogga district.
• ▸Five‑year monitoring to ensure sapling survival, overseen by the KSLSA.
• ▸Chief Conservator K.T. Hanumanthappa highlighted the link between forest cover and clean‑water outcomes.
• ▸Human‑animal conflict cited as a growing threat to both livelihoods and biodiversity.

The initiative targets degraded catchment areas of local lakes, aiming to restore groundwater recharge and reduce sedimentation that currently compromises drinking water supplies for nearby villages.

Legal Framework for Forest and Tribal Rights

India’s constitutional and statutory architecture shapes how afforestation intersects with the rights of forest‑dwelling communities.

• ▸The Forest Rights Act 2006 recognises the rights of forest‑dependent Scheduled Tribes (STs) to protect, manage and restore forest land.
• ▸The PESA Act (1996) empowers Gram Sabhas to approve forest‑related projects, ensuring community consent.
• ▸The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, created under Article 338A, monitors implementation of these safeguards.

These provisions obligate the state to obtain free, prior and informed consent before any large‑scale plantation or lake‑rehabilitation activity that could affect tribal land. Failure to do so may trigger violations of Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life, including a healthy environment.

Ground Realities: Human‑Animal Conflict and Livelihoods

Afforestation without community buy‑in can exacerbate tensions, especially where wildlife corridors intersect with agricultural fields.

• ▸Recent NFHS data show a 12 % rise in crop loss due to elephant incursions in Karnataka’s forest fringe districts.
• ▸The Ministry of Environment reports that over 1.3 million people depend on forest resources for fuel and fodder, making them vulnerable to policy shifts.

By involving youth and local schools, the campaign seeks to create a buffer of awareness that reduces retaliatory killings of wildlife and promotes coexistence. Educational workshops, scheduled alongside sapling planting drives, aim to translate legal rights into practical stewardship.

Challenges and Way Forward

While the scale of planting is ambitious, survival rates of saplings in semi‑arid zones hover around 45 % without sustained irrigation and community monitoring.

• ▸Technical support from the Forest Department includes drip‑irrigation kits for high‑mortality zones.
• ▸Legal oversight by the KSLSA will track compliance with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, particularly Articles 25‑26 on land and resource rights.
• ▸Funding gaps persist; the campaign currently relies on state allocations, with no earmarked central grant under the Right to Information Act 2005‑enabled transparency mechanisms to track expenditures.

A coordinated approach—melding legal safeguards, scientific forestry practices, and youth mobilisation—will determine whether the 25 lakh saplings mature into resilient ecosystems that benefit both people and wildlife.

The Shivamogga initiative exemplifies how judicial leadership can galvanise civil society, but its long‑term success hinges on respecting tribal rights, ensuring ecological viability, and maintaining transparent, accountable governance.