BENGALURU: The Central Government has issued a gazette notification shrinking the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of Bannerghatta National Park from 268.96 sqkm to 168.84 sqkm. This comes as a blow to the citizens and environmental groups who have been opposing it as it is the last remaining lung space in the city. All this despite state forest minister Anand Singh’s assurance.
Conservationists termed it as betrayal of faith and alleged that the government was keen on supporting mining and real estate activities and not protection of lung spaces. They now plan to approach courts to obtain a stay on the gazette notification and seek re-clarification.
According to the notification, the ESZ shall be to an extent of 100 metres to 1km around the boundary of the BNP. “The state government shall, for the purposes of the ESZ, prepare a zonal master plan within a period of two years from the date of publication of the notification in the official gazette, in consultation with local people and adhering to the stipulations given in this notification for approval of the competent authority in the state,” the gazette said.
Officials from Karnataka forest department are also not pleased with the notification. “We had hoped that the central government had given a better thought before issuing the notification as in where a bigger buffer was maintained. The Centre has sealed what the state government and the cabinet sub committee had suggested, without paying much attention to conservation,” said a senior forest department official, who did not want to be quoted.
The official added: “It was actually expected with the same government in the state and Centre. Actually when the draft was redone in 2016 and 2018 on the directions of the district incharge ministers of Bengaluru Rural and Kanakapura, it was understood that the battle to conserve the national park was lost. The Centre should have thought of the elephant conflict towards Tamil Nadu where attention should have been paid. The notification shows the preference given to revenue boundaries of villages.”
Village names where ESZ boundary is 100m width from BNP boundary:
Pilliganahalli, Gottigere, Basavanapura, Hommadevanahalli, Kalkere, Bilwaradahalli, Buthanahalli, Doddaguli, Herandyapanhalli, Tippuru, Bijhalli, Bommasandra, Hosadurga, Salbanni, and Guddeveeranahosahalli