Allowing for private forests can lead to illegal activities and change the natural behaviour of wildlife

Highlights

• Karnataka recently drafted Private Conservancy Rules in a bid to increase forest area through private land. Under the rules, anyone who has a minimum of 100 acres of land bordering a national park can convert it to a “Wildlife Private Conservancy”.
• Of this land, 5% can be used to construct buildings for ecotourism; the rest has to be kept for flora and fauna. The move has received criticism, with activists and retired forest officers concerned that this could lead to illegal activities in private spaces.

Source: The Hindu