Cantt green zone declared Bengaluru's new biodiversity heritage site

Bengaluru: The Karnataka Biodiversity Board has declared the 8.61-acre railway colony green zone near the Cantonment Railway Station as a biodiversity heritage site, following overwhelming public support.

The land, owned by the Indian Railways, houses 371 old trees of 50 species. It had earlier been leased to a private company for 60 years for a commercial project, triggering protests from activists who warned of large-scale tree felling.

The government later sought public opinion on declaring the zone a heritage site. Nearly 15,000 people supported the proposal, while only two opposed it.

Announcing the decision after chairing the board meeting, Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre said the site’s value extended beyond carbon sequestration. “It is not only the environmental value of the green zone amid rapid urbanisation of Bengaluru, but is important culturally and aesthetically,” he said in the order.

Khandre noted the site’s historical significance, recalling that Mahatma Gandhi had addressed a meeting there in 1920. “The people’s opinion has prevailed. Considering the challenges posed by air pollution and climate change, protecting the trees in the green zone is an important decision,” he added.