Green signal for JB Kaval park project?

Nischith N. | NT

A proposal to build a park larger than Cubbon Park at Jarakabande Kaval, known as JB Kaval, near Yelahanka, had met with opposition from citizens, and it was put on the backburner.

But of late, there are rumours that the horticulture department has taken up the construction work for a tree park. However, officials from the Horticulture Department have denied any such move, and said no work has been initiated and the project is still being talked about. A final decision has not yet been reached.

“As of now we have not started any kind of work regarding JB Kaval tree park. We have just visited the spot and had discussions with the department officials concerned. But things have just remained on paper. It is not that easy to build a huge tree park overnight because there are a lot of procedures to be followed. So there were rumours that work has already started, but the fact is that nothing has been processed,” said Rajender Kataria, Principal Secretary, Horticulture department.

According to the reports, JB Kaval already has a tree park developed in 32 hectares of the land area belonging to the Jarakabande B block reserve forest in 2015.

In a new proposal, initially it was planned for 75 acres of the land area belonging to forest, 100 acres of land to farmers and 178 acres of land to the revenue department.

Now with the new proposal the park will be developed with the coordination of horticulture and forest departments within 353 acres of the land will be declared for the Tree Park in which 175 will be forest and remaining will be revenue land. 

“The plan has been changed as the government needs to spend Rs 800 crore to get land from farmers. So now the government has changed to utilize only forest and revenue land. We are told by the confirmed sources that this new plan of 353 acres will be announced in the state budget on Friday,” said a senior official of the forest department requesting anonymity.

The forest department has also clarified that as of now they haven’t allotted any land for the construction of the tree park, and further process will happen only after the budget.

On the other hand, local citizens, activists and environmentalists have also started a campaign called #SaveJarakabande because the proposed area has 89 species of trees planted and many between 1985 to present. Some of the trees here are jackfruit trees, hill goose trees, kadamba, beach almond, Indian beech, red sanders, eucalyptus, teak, Indian butter trees, and many more. It is also an abode to more than 120 species of birds, many species of small mammals, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies to bees and wasps.

“Only few people have opposed it but we have received positive responses from many. This will be the same as Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park for Namma Bengaluru,” Rajender Kataria further added.