Plan for museum in Bengaluru on Western Ghats ecology

Bengaluru: Bengaluru may house a museum and botanical garden to showcase the ecology and environment of the Western Ghats and throw light on the unique species like the lion-tailed macaques or dancing frogs, apart from conserving its flora.

The Western Ghats Task Force has submitted a proposal to Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre, seeking about 10 acres of land within Bengaluru Urban district to set up Western Ghats Museum and Research Institute. Assuring limited financial burden on the state government, the task force seeks to bring funds from private companies through corporate social responsibility (CSR).

To a question, Khandre said the government has not taken a decision on the project. “I am yet to read the report. We will discuss the matter before taking a decision,” he told DH.

The forest department has an arboretum in Kalkere where efforts are being made to conserve Western Ghats flora. However, the task force said their project will be different.

“This will neither be a mere arboretum nor a typical museum. It will be an organic centre which will tie up with universities to bring scholars from across the country and abroad to conduct PhD on the Ghats and establish its importance. At the same time, it will raise scientific awareness among the people in cities who do not know the unique beauty and fragile nature of the Western Ghats,” Task Force Chairman Mohammed Tabrez Alam Shariff told DH.

Asked about the cost of the project, Alam said a detailed project report will help arrive at such details.

“The buildings, gardens and funding for research will be thrashed out after detailed discussions. We are hopeful of the government’s response as it will have a positive impact on all, from children to scholars and tourists, while costing little,” he said.

He said there was a special emphasis on research with a scope of enrolling up to 500 scholars in five years. “At the same time, we want citizens to be part of this. From training 25,000 citizens to funding 10 community-driven conservation projects, we want research to go hand in hand with impact on the ground,” he said.

Asked whether the task force will take into account concerns raised by experts about the threats posed by the big-ticket projects in the Western Ghats, like the Sharavathy pumped storage project, Alam said he cannot comment on the matter without looking into such complaints.

“People have approached me to complain about the project. I have requested them to submit their grievances formally. The task force cannot take up such matters suo motu,” he said, adding that the matter might still be sub judice.

Alam said the Task Force has completed a study on the carrying capacity from available data. “I am aware of experts in the forest department working on another study. However, we submitted a study as conservationists of the Ghats,” he said.

He said such studies will also help in creating awareness about the dangers of commercialisation of the ghats, especially the solid waste the Ghats is made to bear by the tourists who rush during the long weekends.

He said a postcard on the Ghats will be released within a month to celebrate the role of Ghats in Karnataka’s food and water security.