Behind Kerala's Decision To Take Some Forest Spots Off Google Maps, Pg9

Key Highlights:

• The Kerala Forest Department has declared indiscriminate geotagging of locations within the state's forests as illegal.
• The department plans to identify and remove illegally geotagged sensitive ecological spots from online map platforms like Google Maps.
• This initiative aims to prevent unauthorized entry into forests, protect wildlife, and ensure human safety in disaster-prone areas.
• The department will also pursue legal action against individuals responsible for uploading these sensitive locations.
• Silent Valley National Park and other Reserved Forests in districts like Kozhikode are specifically targeted due to such geotagging.

Detailed Insights:

• The move by the Kerala Forest Department follows concerns raised by environmental groups and local forest officials regarding the misuse of online mapping tools.
• Illegal geotagging exposes wildlife corridors and habitats, increasing the risk of human-animal conflict, poaching, and other illicit activities.
• Many of the illegally tagged locations are in mountainous regions susceptible to natural disasters like mudslides, posing significant risks to unsuspecting tourists.
• Under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, and the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, unauthorized entry into Reserved Forests and Protected Forests is a punishable offense.
• The department's IT wing is actively collating a list of these illegally tagged locations, which will then be forwarded to the Forest Management Wing for further action.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Geotagging: The process of adding geographical identification metadata to digital media, such as photos or videos, enabling their location to be displayed on a map.
• Reserved Forests: Forest areas with the highest level of protection under the Indian Forest Act, 1927, where all activities are prohibited unless explicitly permitted.
• Protected Forests: Forest areas where activities are permitted unless expressly prohibited, offering a degree of protection slightly less stringent than reserved forests.
• Wildlife Corridors: Strips of natural habitat connecting larger wildlife populations, crucial for animal movement, genetic exchange, and mitigating habitat fragmentation.
• Silent Valley National Park: A highly biodiverse national park in Kerala, part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, renowned for its pristine evergreen forests and endemic species.