The proposal for a new Dasoha Bhavan at Chamundi Hills mooted by G.T. Deve Gowda, MLA, has irked conservationists who have called for a freeze on any fresh “development” activity. The MLA suggested recently that the bhavan should be constructed as the existing one was inadequate to cope with the increase in the number of devotees visiting Chamundi Hills.
Mr. Gowda had stated that the area where the vehicles are currently parked could be the site for the new bhavan as the construction of a new multi-level vehicle parking facility is nearing completion. Though no decision has been taken, activists fear the proposal for the new bhavan could gain traction.
Lokesh Mosale, honorary wildlife warden for Mysuru, said the idea should be opposed and rejected before it gains any traction. Other conservationists called for conservation of Chamundi Hills through greening and afforestation.
They pointed out that the district administration is building the parking facility and a commercial complex, spending nearly ₹80 crore, despite opposition from a section of the public and they are slated for inauguration during Dasara.
Hence there is a perception that the new bhavan, if approved, could also take concrete shape and strike a blow to the fragile ecosystem of Chamundi Hills.
D. Rajkumar, a wildlife activist, said the government should put a full stop to the so-called development of Chamundi Hills and restore its greenery instead.
Under the Centre’s Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASAD) scheme, a ₹100-crore project has also been sanctioned for Chamundi Hills.
Under it, ₹50 crore will be spent in the first phase for beautification, signage, providing better amenities to pilgrims, and tourists etc. There is also a proposal to introduce battery-operated buggies from the foothills to the top. If the buggies are introduced, then the money spent on the parking lot will be redundant.
“The need of the hour is a buffer zone to protect the foothills which is being encroached by private players while private and MUDA layouts are proliferating around it. In a matter of few years, Chamundi Hills will be at the centre of Mysuru as it will be surrounded by residential layouts,” said Mr. Mosale.
The concept of a buffer zone was mooted more than 15 years ago by city-based environmentalists but it was given a short shrift and the hill-top has been continuously “developed” leading to a concretisation of the hills.
A biodiversity hotspot, Chamundi Hills is also a major water shed for Mysuru and is responsible for managing its micro-climatic conditions.
But its ecological importance has been ignored in recent decades which has resulted in human-centric development activity leading to environmental degradation, added Mr. Rajkumar.