Forest Minister steps in to save forest, fauna at Jnanabharati campus
Bengaluru: The Forest Department is preparing to examine the feasibility of declaring the Jnanabharati campus of Bangalore University as a heritage site. The Higher Education Department and the BBMP have decided to carry out various construction works on the Jnanabharati campus, which is like a granary of oxygen and a mini forest of the city.
For this, the demand for the required land has already been put forward. 50 acres of land in the Bio Park Part-8 of the campus was identified to establish the Visvesvaraya Engineering College University (UVCE). Opposing this, the Jnanabharati Airmen's Association had filed a complaint with the Governor. In this context, the Governor had asked for a scientific report regarding this land.
Bangalore University had formed a committee to examine the proposal for the construction of the college and prepare a report. Even before the report was submitted, Higher Education Minister Dr M C Sudhakar had said that the 50 acres of land identified for the construction of UVCE was not enough. Therefore, 200 to 300 acres of land was required and on October 7, he had written to the University Vice Chancellor asking him to submit a suitable proposal in this regard.
Meanwhile, the BBMP, which had been searching for a suitable place in various parts of the city to build the tallest skydeck in South Asia, finally set its eyes on the Jnanabharati campus and wrote a letter to the Higher Education Department requesting the transfer of 25 acres of land in the campus for the construction of a 250-meter-high skydeck at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore. Further enraged by this, environmentalists, the Jnanabharati Walkers Association and '(Parisarakahi Naavu) We for the Environment' and other organisations had written to the Governor and the Forest Minister demanding protection of the Jnanabharati campus.
In this context, Forest Minister Eshwar B Khandre has instructed the Forest Department officials to examine the feasibility of declaring the Jnanabharathi campus as a heritage site and submit a proposal.
Minister Eshwar B Khandre had written a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary of the department on May 13, instructing them to submit a proposal, if possible, to declare the Jnanabharathi campus as a heritage site. 'There are lakhs of huge trees in the Bangalore University-Jnanabharathi campus, and it is the responsibility of the department to preserve the biodiversity here for the next generation and protect the green belt of Bangalore Metropolitan City.
However, efforts are being made to cut down trees here and undertake various construction works. This needs to be curbed and biodiversity needs to be preserved. Therefore, the feasibility of declaring this green campus of Bangalore University as a heritage site under the Biodiversity Act-2002 should be examined, he had instructed.
Accordingly, the Forest Department has made preparations. The number of trees and plants in Jnanabharathi, their species, medicinal plants, how much carbon they absorb and release oxygen, details of animals and birds there, butterflies, insects, water sources will be examined keeping all these factors
in mind.
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