Kannada writer Bhyrappa urges PM to stop Chamundi Hill project

By Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Mysuru: Prof. S. L. Bhyrappa, noted Kannada novelist and fellow of the Sahithya Academy, has joined the campaign against the development of Chamundi HIlls and has urged the Union government to reject a proposal submitted by Karnataka government under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation & Spirituality Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) for the development of the biodiversity rich hills in Mysuru at a cost of Rs 100 crore.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi a copy of which was released to the media, he said he was writing the letter requesting the tourism ministry to see the hills in the true spirit of promoting spiritual tourism. “What I have heard about the project proposal submitted by the Karnataka government pained me. It concentrates more on the modern concept of architecture using concrete and environmentally unsustainable material. What we need to do is demolish the already existing concrete jungle and restore the natural beauty of the hills with minimum interference from contractors. The state government’s proposal will augment the concrete jungle in the name of glamourising it”.

The author of ‘Parva’, a novel which has been translated into Russian and Chinese, said Chamundi Hills has many granite rocks which emit heat especially during summer months. They need to plant hill friendly trees which will cover these rocks and stop them from getting heated. Around the temple, on the hill top, the authorities should undertake a massive planting of trees instead of the artificial roof. There are hardly any trees on the hills, he said. “

With more than 4,000 residents on top of the hill which was hardly in the hundreds a few years back, the situation has reached an unsustainable limit. We should allow only houses where priests and working staff of the temple. have to live. All other houses should be relocated to the city and the owners compensated as we have done with tribals in some reserve forests. All private vehicles including those of VIPs should be banned”, Prof Bhyrappa said .

To the extent possible, all concrete structures already created should be demolished with minimum harm to the environment. Bhyrappa said .