Forest dept 'sat' on proposal to make Tataguni estate conservation reserve

Bengaluru: Lack of timely action by the Forest Department in conserving the ecosystem of Roerich Devikarani Estate in Tataguni has made the 460-acre lung space vulnerable for unscientific development works that pose a threat to its ecology. The Tourism Department has invited bids for its project to turn the area into a tourist hub.

Documents show that the then Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Punati Sridhar had on November 27, 2017 written to the Bengaluru urban Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), after a report had found several endangered species in the estate.

“You are instructed to submit a proposal to declare (the) area as ‘Conservation Reserve’ to this office for taking further action,” Sridhar had said.

The letter attached the report of wildlife biologist Sanjay Gubbi, who at the time worked with the Nature Conservation Foundation. Gubbi’s report of May 2017 talked about the findings of the camera trapping exercise in Roerich Estate and other forests of Bengaluru Urban division. By that time, the estate had already been seen as an elephant corridor while leopard presence had been documented.

“We have documented the presence of smooth coated otter in the dry deciduous forests of Roerich Estate... This is perhaps the first-ever documentation of this species for Bengaluru, and surprisingly the documentation is almost within city limits,” Gubbi’s report said, adding that the animal, listed under the schedule II of the Wildlife Protection Act, is “primarily threatened by the loss of habitat”.

Besides the otter, Gubbi’s research recorded leopard, elephant, sambar, barking deer, rusty-spotted cat and spotted deer in the 16-sqkm area surrounding the estate. Gubbi said a draft proposal for conservation reserve had the estate in the middle with Badamanavarthe Kaval in the southwest and Gollahalligudda state forest in the south with the one-km boundary of buffer zone ending near the Bannerghatta national forest comprising the estate.

“Being part of a larger network of deemed forests and being connected to Bannerghatta national park, this contiguous habitat patch can serve as a potential sink site for larger mammals from Bannerghatta national park when good protection measures are in place,” the draft stated.

Water conservation

The wildlife biologist noted that protecting the estate was crucial from the aspect of water conservation. “As many as 26 lakes were identified within a one-km buffer of the areas proposed to be made as the conservation reserve. The initiative of notifying the conservation reserve is also critical for water conservation not merely for wildlife, but also for humans. While most water bodies/lakes are being encroached, losing ground water, conserving these forests will be helpful to regularly rejuvenate ground water in this area,” he said.

Officials in the Bengaluru Urban division said they were unable to find documents to understand whether or not the directions of the chief wildlife warden were followed.

“This matter has been brought to our notice recently. We will look into the proposal and take necessary action,” Bengaluru urban deputy conservator of forests N Ravindrakumar told DH.

On the tourism department’s tenders, sources in the government said the forest department had already given a clear opinion against the project.