Declare Hesaraghatta grasslands as conservation reserve, Karnataka wildlife board members appeal to CM Bommai

“Opportunity for research and education The conservation reserve could be used by research institutes and the forest department to teach their staff trainees and college students or even laymen to be able to appreciate nature. They could facilitate eco-tourism and generate revenue while setting up a world-class nature interpretation center,” it added.

The wildlife board members also stated that grasslands sustain biodiversity and conserving them helps reduce the impacts of global warming and climate change caused by excess carbon dioxide. “The Hesaraghatta grasslands are home to over 100 species of birds including the critically endangered Lesser Florican. Grassland and the shrubland near the lake and also home to Smooth-coated otters as well as the Indian Leopard,” the letter said.

Countering the rumors that the declaration of grasslands as a conservation reserve would exclude local people from the landscape, the wildlife board members explained: “The entire 5,100 acres of land belongs to the state government and houses government institutions on 3,500 acres and the rest is lake-bed. Nobody needs to be evicted. All existing users will be allowed to freely use the land. Also, what is being proposed is a Conservation Reserve which specifies that the use of land by local communities and villagers continues as is.”

“Farmers would be able to recharge their borewells and even grow water-intensive cash crops. Therefore, they will make more yield, and this will eventually boost the economy. This will bring more cash into the hands of our farmers, increasing their spending power,” the letter said.

One of the board members Siddharth Goenka said, “The declaration of the conservation will preserve the existing species inhabiting the area and the fear that has sought to be created that large wild animals would be introduced is completely baseless. It is being misconstrued that locals will be barred from grazing cattle and fishing. However, Unlike a National Park, where grazing or movement of livestock are prohibited activities, in a conservation reserve these activities can continue as per usual. The law does not bar such activities in a conservation reserve.”

“Unlike notification of National Parks and Sanctuaries. where extinguishment of rights is involved , a Conservation Reserve (CR) declared under Section 36A of the Wildlife Protection Act. 1972 (WLPA) does not involve acquisition of land or settlement of rights of local people. Therefore, all legal rights of the residents in and around a Conservation Reserve shall continue and the question of eviction simply does not arise,” he added.

Found of NGO Project Vruksha Vijay Nishanth, on whose petition Karnataka High Court in July directed the Wildlife Board (https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/bangalore/karnataka-hc-sends-back-hesaraghatta-grassland-reserve-state-wildlife-board-8060568/ ) to reconsider its earlier decision of rejecting the proposal of declaring Hesaraghatta grasslands as a conservation reserve, said, “The local politicians are spreading fear among the people that wild animals will be introduced once the grasslands be declared as a conservation reserve and the local villagers cannot take their cattle for grazing etc. The declaration of the grasslands as a conservation reserve is a long fight and we are tirelessly fighting for it.”