Biodiversity tag to railway land withdrawn due to legal restrictions: Karnataka Minister Eshwar Khandre

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has withdrawn the notification declaring 8.61 acres at Bengaluru Cantonment Railway Colony a biodiversity heritage site, citing legal restrictions under the Railways Act, said Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar B Khandre on Tuesday.

He addressed environmentalists' concerns, saying the decision was not due to external pressure, and added that railway land cannot be regulated by other authorities under the existing law.

Khandre said the area had been declared a biodiversity site to conserve 371 trees over 8.61 acres, crucial as a green lung for Bengaluru. However, as the Railways Act restricts such notifications, the government was compelled to withdraw it.

The response follows citizen protests after the government withdrew the biodiversity tag, allowing the Railways to resume work on the site under a public private partnership (PPP) model.

Forest officials have discussed with the Railway Land Development Authority (RLDA), which has assured commitment to environmental protection. The authority has promised to relocate affected trees where possible and undertake compensatory plantation.

The RLDA has also given a written assurance that it will enforce environmental laws under Section 37(1) of the Biological Diversity Act, maintain green cover by planting saplings after construction, and take steps to protect biodiversity in the Cantonment Railway Colony area, the minister said.