Aravali-like row in Bengaluru backyard: Bannerghatta park’s ESZ shrinks; SC panel to visit today | Bengaluru News
BENGALURU: In a replay of the Aravali hills controversy, Bannerghatta National Park —Bengaluru’s ecological backyard and home to rich biodiversity — is facing extreme pressure from mining and real estate interests eyeing the park’s contiguous landscape. At the core is a 2020 decision by the state govt to drastically shrink the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around BNP from 268.9 sqkm to 168.8 sqkm and shrink its width from 4km to just 1km.Following a citizens’ petition challenging the state govt’s unilateral move to reduce the ESZ, members of the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) will visit the park Friday. CEC member Chandra Prakash Goyal is scheduled to inspect the park and interact with senior state officials, including chief secretary, to assess the ecological impact of the reduction.Concerned citizens led by K Belliappa approached Supreme Court in May 2025, arguing the move undermines the purpose of an ESZ. In its preliminary notification in June 2016, the Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change, in consultation with the state govt, proposed declaring 268.9 sqkm around BNP as ESZ.
Vanishing buffer
However, the final notification in March 2020 sharply curtailed the protected area, a decision the petitioners alleged was influenced by real estate developers and mining and quarrying interests.The petitioners contended that several ecologically sensitive pockets surrounding well-documented elephant corridors were excluded from the final notification. This, they argue, fragmented the contiguous landscape and heightened the risk of human-elephant conflict. Kiran Urs, a member of the Bannerghatta Nature Conservation Trust, said the ESZ reduction appeared to be an attempt to legitimise existing ecological violations. “The pockets excluded from the final notification contain active quarries, and there were efforts to build a township along the boundary, which will inevitably exert immense pressure on the ecosystem,” he alleged.Somashekhar, a farmer from Kaduchikkanahalli, said he came under pressure to sell his land even after the final ESZ notification. “However, I continue to hold my land and grow ragi,” he said.Keerthan Reddy of BNCT said BNP is one of the best ecological gifts for growing Bengaluru. “No other city can boast this vast green landscape in its backyard, dotted with a salubrious population of tigers, elephants, leopards and other species. The city is already witness to rising incidents of humananimal conflict, and violations like these would only add to the problem,” he said.
