Activist launched forest movement inspired by Chipko in South India
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Pandurang Hegde, an activist, drew inspiration from the Chipko Movement in Uttarakhand, India, to begin forest conservation work in South India.
He trained at the Parvatiya Navjeevan Ashram, the center of the Chipko Andolan led by Sunderlal and Vimla Bahuguna, learning to organize grassroots movements. Hegde then walked along the Kali River in Karnataka, seeking to replicate Chipko’s success by raising awareness about deforestation caused by projects like the Supa Dam.
Local communities in Uttara Kannada district joined Hegde’s efforts, and a spontaneous protest emerged against forest destruction in the Sirsi region. This led to the Appiko movement, which initially focused on stopping the conversion of natural forests into teak plantations. The movement expanded across several districts of Karnataka, gaining support from people concerned about resource conflicts. The government responded to the widespread support by halting the clear-felling of old-growth forests for teak.
Activists then pushed for a complete ban on felling green trees, and after ten years of organized action, the Karnataka state government imposed a ban on felling green trees in natural forests in 1989. This ban remains in effect today, a lasting result of the Appiko movement.
