Controversy has broken out over the construction of a mansion close to the Kabini backwaters which is in the Eco Sensitive Zone of the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve.
The residential unit speculated to be on a farm belongs to a member of the State Wildlife Board who is also a mining baron and hence his appointment had come under a cloud.
Environmentalists suspect it could be a resort and have raised the question of who granted permission to construct a house within the ESZ though such clearances have not been given for any new construction around Kabini backwaters in the recent past.
Sources said the local gram panchayat of N. Bellathur village issued the permission. They also indicated that construction was on the private land of the individual concerned and hence he was well within his rights to build a dwelling unit for residential purposes. However, activists suspected it could be a ruse to start a resort and wanted the district administration and the Forest Department to ensure that the building plan complied with certain ESZ norms which imposes a restriction of 4,000 sq.ft. on any construction.
Mahesh Kumar, DCF, Nagarahole said the issue had been brought to his notice and he would get into the details of the case on Monday.
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