Forest department converts containers into offices

Chamarajanagara: The Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy temple (BRT) forest department has found an ingenious way to convert two containers into forest check-post and a beat office on a trial basis.

The 'container' offices have been set upatPunajanur and Budhipadagainter-State check-posts.

These containers have been gifted by Bengaluru-based VistarFinance Corporation under corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme. This is the first ofits kind in the State government department. The containers have a kitchen, hall, toilet and bathroom.

It normally costs Rs 10 lakh to Rs 12 lakh for the department to build a check-post. Apart from time-consuming, the maintenance of a building is an expensive affair. But in this container office three persons can live easily and it can be shifted to any location easily.

Speaking to The Hans India, BRT tiger reserve deputy conservator offorests Dr G Santhosh Kumar said that the department urgently needed abeat office atBudhipadagafor which there was no grant.

He said at that time WMG Wildlife Trust came forward to providebeat office. The trust approached VisatarFinance Corporation, which agreed to provide containers.

He said each container costs Rs 2.5 lakh and the concrete beddingcost Rs 2.5 lakh. The company bought containers from Maharashtra at a cost of Rs 5 lakh each. He said the container office would last 15-20 years. The containers came handy in setting up a temporary beat office,rest room to prevent anti-poaching and illegal activities in forest.