Biodiversity survey identifies 40 species of birds, 552 trees in KSIC land earmarked for stadium in T Narsipur

Will petition the Chief Minister to save the trees by reconsidering the proposal to build the stadium on this land, say environmentalists

Mysuru: A team of environmentalists conducted a biodiversity survey and found more than 40 species of birds and 30 varieties of butterflies harbouring in 552 trees of more than 29 varieties at the five-acre land of silk filature — the mother unit of the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) at T Narsipur in Mysuru district.

All these trees and living creatures are likely to be affected with the proposed sports stadium in this prime land of the KSIC which has now been taken over by the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports. The stadium, to be built at a cost of Rs 6 crore, was announced in the 2025 State Budget.

Environmentalists led by Parashurame Gowda of Parisara Balaga, Sanjay Dattatri, M Sahana, and Kashyap visited the land.

They found 55 teak trees (tega), 24 sandalwood trees, seven peepal trees, 12 neem trees, 28 Brassaia actinophylla trees (chathri mara), eight Indian beech trees (honge), seven mahogany trees, five Arjuna trees, 14 silver oak trees, two layi trees, 53 Saraca indica (Ashoka) trees, 53 coconut trees, 25 coconut plants, 82 arecanut trees, two cotton trees, four banyan trees, 11 jamun trees, a Champak tree, 11 guava trees, two jungle jalebi (kaadu hunise) trees, nine eucalyptus trees, a Naagapushpa tree, two almond trees, seven palm trees, two jackfruit trees, 11 tamarind trees and 109 other jungle trees. There are trees ranging from three-year-old coconut and arecanut palms to those that are seven, ten, 15, 50, 60, 80, 100 years old, Parashurame Gowda said.

A coppersmith barbet found during the biodiversity survey on the KSIC filature premises in T Narsipur on Sunday.

They also found 39 species of birds harbouring in these trees. They include bar-headed goose (five), Indian golden oriole (24), black drongo (14), black-crowned night heron (10), Indian gray hornbill (four), blue-tailed bee-eater (three), red-whiskered bulbul (two), chestnut-tailed/Malabar starling (two), red-naped ibis (three), and one each of Indian peafowl, rock pigeon (feral pigeon), spotted dove, greater coucal, Asian koel, common hawk-cuckoo, little cormorant, eastern cattle-egret, oriental honey-buzzard, Shikra, black kite, brahminy kite, spotted owlet, white-throated kingfisher, coppersmith barbet, white-cheeked barbet, black-rumped flameback, rose-ringed parakeet, Indian paradise-flycatcher, house crow, large-billed crow, ashy prinia, eastern red-rumped swallow, common myna, jungle myna, oriental magpie-robin, pale-billed flowerpecker, purple-rumped sunbird, purple sunbird and house sparrow, Parashurame Gowda added.

A butterfly found during the biodiversity survey by environmentalists on the KSIC filature premises in T Narsipur on Sunday.

The raw silk reeling unit spread over 12 acres of land is the mother unit of the two silk-weaving units in Mysuru and Channapatna. Here, they process 1,500 to 2,000 kg of cocoons to 250 to 300 kg silk yarn per day. These trees are nourished by the filature, as it needs 30% tree cover to act as a buffer zone/lung space to avoid the foul smell and heat as the unit has 5 tph (tonne per hour) and 2 tph boilers, wherein they use 4 to 5 tonnes of coal per day. These heaters could be risky for players too.

Parashurame Gowda said they would send a memorandum to the Chief Minister to save these trees by reconsidering the proposal to build the stadium on this land.