Katti backs move to save Hesaraghatta

Nischith N | NT

Bengaluru: To declare 5,000 plus acres of Hesaraghatta open land as a conservation reserve was a long pending demand. Now state forest minister Umesh Katti has agreed to submit a proposal at the next wildlife board meeting.

According to the reports, in a recent meeting held on the need to conserve grasslands, catchments and waterways, the minister agreed to a request made by the member of the state wildlife board, Siddharth Goenka to bring the issue back to the wildlife board so that it could be debated and discussed.

It is claimed that one and only green space full of biodiversity is Hesaraghatta in the form of both grasslands and wetlands. And the environmentalists request that this unique 5,000 acres be preserved to protect Bengaluru.

“To protect the environment by one person is too difficult, so it should be a collective effort. If future generations have to work in a good environment and possess good health, they need such ‘Green Spaces’, as they cannot be created by ordinary human beings. Further any theme park in such a natural grassland ecosystem will destroy the ecosystem. So we will definitely table this in the next wildlife board,” the forest minister said.

It was reported earlier that in January 2021, Yelahanka MLA, S.R. Vishwanath forced the former chief minister B.S Yediyurappa to reject the proposal to declare the area as a conservation reserve. Later the MLA’s move was opposed by many activists.

According to environment experts, grasslands are the feeding grounds not only for large plant eaters, but also for meat eaters, insects, birds, rodents, snakes and many more species. Naturalists have over the years pointed out that Hesaraghatta Grasslands have become breeding grounds for rare birds - greater spotted eagle and lesser florican. Apart from this, it is also home to slender loris, smooth coated otter, and Indian leopard.

“We are happy about this development and hope that the proposal will be accepted this time. The minister has agreed to bring the issue up at the next wildlife board meeting. The safeguarding of the Hesaraghatta grasslands is imperative for the ecosystem. If this thing is declared as reserve land, then all these encroachments will be stopped,” Siddharth Goenka pointed out.

The Karnataka High Court last year directed the State government to ensure that the present status of Hesaraghatta Grasslands should not be altered. Conservationist Vijay Nishanth stated, “It is a great development that the minister will take this issue to board. We hope that the proposal to declare the grasslands as a conservation reserve is accepted this time. This has been our long pending demand.”

Earlier the government had also planned to build a film city here, a move that was derided by ecological experts.