Karnataka invites tech ideas to stop sandalwood theft, KSDL to fund deployment
Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL), the state-owned maker of the iconic Mysuru Sandal Soap, has launched a major initiative to combat rampant sandalwood theft, with Large and Medium Industries Minister M.B. Patil inviting farmers, scientists, and organisations to submit innovative technological solutions. The announcement was made in Bengaluru on Thursday, 7 May, with KSDL committing to bear the full cost of deploying any technology found suitable and effective.
What the Initiative Involves
Under the programme, individuals and organisations possessing advanced equipment or innovative technologies capable of preventing sandalwood theft have been invited to approach KSDL directly and share technical details. They will also be given an opportunity to demonstrate their solutions before the organisation's representatives.
Minister Patil confirmed that if the proposed solutions are assessed as effective, steps will be taken towards their formal consideration and implementation. Crucially, KSDL will bear all costs associated with deploying the chosen technologies — removing a significant financial barrier for adoption.
Rewards for Farmers, Police, and Informants
The initiative extends beyond technology. On 4 June, coinciding with the birth anniversary of Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, the erstwhile Maharaja of Mysuru, four farmers who have supplied the highest quantity of sandalwood to KSDL will be formally honoured.
On the same occasion, police personnel and forest officials who have demonstrated notable progress in apprehending sandalwood thieves and registering cases will also be recognised. Members of the public who have provided credible information leading to such action will similarly be rewarded, the minister added.
The Scale of the Smuggling Problem
Minister Patil acknowledged that farmers cultivating sandalwood on private lands have faced increasing threats from theft in recent years. Illegal felling and smuggling of sandalwood have persisted for decades in Karnataka. Despite stringent laws being in place to curb such activities, the number of cases resulting in actual convictions remains very low, he noted.
