Bengaluru: CM Bommai urged to declare Hesaraghatta grasslands as conservation reserve

A copy of the letter was also sent to Chief Wildlife Warden Vijaykumar Gogi and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (head of forest force) R K Singh.

In his letter to Bommai, founder and general secretary of BNP, Srikanth Narasimhan said, “In support of the petition to save Bengaluru’s last surviving grassland at Hesaraghatta, the Bengaluru NavaNirmana party (BNP) requests you to declare the complete 5,010 acres of the Hesaraghatta grassland as a conservation reserve.” He further added, “This is a unique ecosystem with a mixture of grassland, scrubland, and a lake in Namma Bengaluru. The Hesaraghatta lakebed area and grasslands in the surrounding catchment area in the northwest of Bangalore are important reservoirs of biodiversity. In addition to supporting wildlife, these grasslands also provide valuable ecosystem services that are critical to the residents of Bangalore.”

The letter pointed out that Hesaraghatta is home to several unique species of flora and fauna, many of which are endangered today and added that the grassland was witnessing “a fierce battle” for its survival. “For centuries, cattle have been grazed on an indigenous variety of grass. Hesaraghatta Lake, which might be revived as a catchment area, was a significant supply of drinking water for Bangalore until around 1994. While other grasslands of the city like Malleswaram, Yeshwanthpur, and Hebbal have already paved the way for the city’s development, Hesaraghatta is the sole Bengaluru grassland that has to be preserved in its natural state,” the letter said.