Karnataka High Court directs state govt to respond to PIL against Nandi Hills ropeway project

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the state government to respond to a PIL against Nandi Hills ropeway project. A division bench comprising Chief Justice NV Anjaria and MI Arun posted the matter to April 8 for further consideration.

The petition was filed by a Bengaluru-based Universal Human Rights Services Foundation. The petitioner claimed that the state government amended certain provisions of the Karnataka Government Forest Preservation Act, to allocate two acres of land in survey number 3 of the Nandi Hills for the development of upper terminal point for the ropeway project.

The advocate for the petitioner submitted that the Nandi Hills lands vested in the Horticulture Department and the Director, Horticulture Department was permitted to transfer two acres of land to the Tourism Department for a period of 30 years. The project is proposed to save time to reach the hills as well as it allows visitors an aerial view of the surrounding area. The proposed project aims at improving connectivity and attracting more tourists to Nandi Hills, the petition said.

The petitioner further submitted that the land at Nandi Hills is protected as a garden under the Karnataka Forest Conservation Act. He said Nandi Hills has unique bio diversity and its flora and fauna needs to be protected to preserve the biodiversity. According to the petitioner, the proposed ropeway project will have a disastrous impact on the ecosystem of Nandi Hills.