Propsed stadium in Anekal will harm Bannerghatta eco sensitive zone: Karnataka Rashtra Samithi

Karnataka Housing Board's proposal to build the stadium in about 75 acres of land at Anekal at an estimated cost of more than Rs 900 crore has been been questioned.

Bengaluru: Farmers from villages located near Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) on Tuesday (May 19) joined hands with the Karnataka Rashtra Samithi (KRS) party to oppose the proposal to build a massive sports stadium in Anekal, noting that such a proposal violates the recommendations made by the Central Empowered Committee's (CEC).

Farmers Somashekhar and Shivakumara Swamy accompanied KRS party's state convener Raghu Janagere in questioning the Karnataka Housing Board's (KHB) proposal to build the stadium in about 75 acres of land at Anekal at an estimated cost of more than Rs 900 crore.

"We are told that the stadium will have a capacity to seat 80,000 people. This is a project located 1.5 km from the boundary of the BNP and is within the eco sensitive zone (ESZ) as recommended by the CEC assisting the Supreme Court of India," he said.

Janagere was referring to the CEC report submitted to the apex court in January 2026. The CEC inspected the BNP following a petition by K B Belliappa and others who challenged the state government's decision to reduce the ESZ from 268.96 sq km to 168.84 sq km, removing all protection to about 100 sq km of the buffer zone. He said in view of the CEC recommendation, the state government should restore the ESZ and avoid any project in the area.

Equating the reduction of ESZ to denotification of the land to aid real estate mafia, Raghu said the KHB's proposal was part of a conspiracy by politicians to grab valuable land in Bengaluru south.

"About 3933 acre of forest land was taken away from farmers. Many of these farmers had sought regularisation of the land holding but their applications were rejected. Now, the land will be handed over to the rich people on a platter," he said.

Somashekhar told DH that the stadium was just the beginning of a series of projects which will eventually lead to denotification of a largescale of forest. "We have seen the decimation of Bannerghatta in front of our own eyes. The entire forest will eventually disappear to make way for more real estate," he added.