Locals protest over tree park plan in Turahalli Reserve Forest

Promising ‘Hasiru Bengaluru’ and creating ‘Greener Neighbourhoods’ as part of its ambitious Bengaluru Mission-2022, the state government’s move to create a tree park inside the Turahalli Reserve Forest off Kanakapura Road has left the local communities enraged.

Several people stormed the forest area, spread across 600 acres, in protest against the state government's decision.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa had last week announced that a tree park will be created on 400 acres by April 2021.

However, converting an untouched reserve forest into a conventional park interspersed with concrete structures, walking paths and sitting benches has left the locals agitated.

Local RWAs have alleged that the natural flora and fauna across the landscape interspersed with small hillocks will be threatened with this proposal of mass tourism.

On Tuesday morning, spotting earth excavators inside the forest, residents came together and gathered in large numbers outside the park, demanding that the area be left as it is.

Abdul Aleem, co-founder of Changemakers of Kanakapura Road (CMKR), said: “The officials who entered the forest with excavators did not provide us with any official work orders, plan or approvals. The area has peacocks, deers, wild porcupines and more than 120 species of birds.”

The residents approached the Thalaghattapura police who arrived at the spot. However, they were not of much help as no one was allowed to enter the reserve forest except the forest officials.

“They promised to show us the work order by evening and convinced us to go back. However, we did not receive anything. The personnel led by the local RFO continued to remove weeds and work inside the forest, claiming they have verbal orders from the higher-ups,” Aleem explained.

Vijetha Sanjay Mysoremutt, a member of Save Turahalli, said: “We have been told that the proposal has a parking area, gazebo, walking track, concrete structures, toilets, canteens and a play area. All these will snatch away the entire forest patch, which is one of the last standing forest patches within the city. If the government is so desirous, let them convert empty areas as tree parks, but certainly not a forest area.”

A resident Venugopal, recalling the recent incident of a leopard straying into an apartment near Begur, tweeted: “If the wild animals enter the city, apartments, what should we infer? Either they are short of food or we have encroached their space. Top of it we are destroying their natural habitat in the name of tree park which is nothing but madness.”

“A forest will revive itself better until a man steps in. Leave it untouched, this is the only known forest patch we have near Bengaluru,” was what Anand Somesh, another resident, had to say.

No protest held: DCF

When contacted, Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF) Ravishankar told DH: “I will find out the details of the work order and get back later.”

When confronted with questions about the residents’ protest, Ravishankar shot back: “What will the residents know? It is the officials who will know the details. Please speak to the local RFO. No protest has happened at the site."