Activists call for protecting Bengaluru's Bannerghatta Park

Bengaluru: Environmental and wildlife activists have called for immediate action to protect Bannerghatta National Park (BNP), warning that a combination of infrastructure projects and the reduction of its eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) were severely fragmenting what they call the living bridge of South India’s wildlife.

At a press conference organised by the Bannerghatta Nature Conservation Trust (BNCT) on Saturday, activists highlighted existential threats to the park, which acts as a crucial corridor linking the forests of the Western and Eastern Ghats, including the Mysore Elephant Reserve, Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, and Bandipur National Park.

BNCT’s Kiran Urs, a wildlife photographer, stressed that the park’s connectivity is vital for the movement and genetic exchange of wide-ranging species like elephants and tigers. “Saving these corridors is important because their destruction due to urbanisation and infrastructure projects threatens wildlife movement and increases human-wildlife conflict,” Urs said.

Another activist Bhanuprakash said that the primary concerns revolve around the 2018 Central government notification that reduced BNP’s Eco-Sensitive Zone from 268.9 sq km to 168.84 sq km. This reduction, which reportedly excluded areas with existing stone quarries, is feared to have opened up previously protected buffer zones to mining and commercial activities.

Adding to the ecological pressure is the ongoing construction of the National Highways Authority of India’s (NHAI) six-lane elevated flyover, part of the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) project, crossing a 3.85-km stretch of the park’s core and buffer zones.

While the project has National Board of Wildlife clearance, critics argue that ‘technological mitigation measures’ like sound barriers and underpasses are insufficient.

Also a proposal to construct an airport near the Bannerghatta-Kanakapura belt, adjacent to the ESZ, was strongly opposed, with BNCT Founder Vishnu Narain stating that such a development would be an unsustainable development model.