Elephant corridor survey completed

Nischith N.| NT

A long pending demand by wildlife experts for a corridor that allows elephants and other wildlife in the Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) region to move around without any impediment may soon be a reality. The state revenue department has initiated steps to identify and secure the elephant corridor and this has been welcomed by conservationists and activists. The department has reportedly completed the survey, but is yet to submit it. According to the reports, the survey began in April last year, but got delayed due to heavy rains.

Confirming the news to the News Trail, J Manjunath, Bengaluru Urban DC said, “A survey of over 1,000 plus acres near the BNP — meant to be developed into an elephant corridor — was started in April. But it has been delayed due to different reasons. But now we had a meeting on Thursday with the local Member of the Parliament D.K. Suresh and finalised the report.” A Lok Adalat judgement in 2011 had ordered transfer of 1,000-acre government land falling under survey number 69 of Shivanahalli village, Jigani Hobli, Anekal taluk to the forest department for the development of elephant corridor.

Elephant Corridor will go a long way in reducing human-elephant conflict in these regions and also bring relief to farmers, who have faced frequent crop raids by jumbos. However, based on the order survey work was taken up over a forested area of more than 1,1126 acres. This is made up of revenue and gomala lands, habitations, illegally occupied lands and land grants made by successive governments in the last few decades. Project Vruksha founder and urban conservationist, Vijay Nishanth commented that it is a great step that 1, 126 acres will be dedicated for the development of the elephant corridor. “This was a long pending demand and we have fought for it and finally it makes us happy that the survey is done. This is an area which sees heavy elephant movement and this is a matter of serious concern and must be addressed in a comprehensive manner so that the corridors are restored to their original width and length.”

Many activists are hoping that the department has identified and marked the human habitations and assessed if any rehabilitation measures are required. “As of now the survey has been done, I have instructed the officials to come up with the surveyed layout plan by marking the grantee lands and also non-grantee lands. The report will be submitted and later it will be discussed whether the fencing should be done leaving human habitations,” Manjunath further added.

Declared as a national park in 1974, Bannerghatta has an area of 260.5 square kilometres.