Borewell work in Bengaluru's Hesaraghatta a bid to make way for projects: Activists

BENGALURU: Conservationists have expressed serious concern over the animal husbandry department taking up work on sinking a borewell in biodiversity-rich Hesaraghatta, stating that this is the start of commercialisation of the grassland. 

Wildlife activists have long been demanding that the grassland be declared a conservation reserve as it hosts a rich diversity of flora and fauna. 

Officials clarified that the borewell was being dug after taking the state government’s approval to create a eco-friendly goushala on 23 acres of land belonging to the department. The goushala aims to house abandoned and rescued cattle that were handed over to them from Bengaluru and other districts on a daily basis, the official added. 

“On an average, we get around 40-50 cattle heads a week and we have no place to house them. We have been requesting private shelters to house them, but that is also becoming difficult. The state government has approved the construction of 100 goushalas in the state and so far 33 have been constructed. The one in Hesaraghatta and Anekal are included in the list wherever the department has land,” the official said.

However, conservationists and activists said, “It seems like an attempt to make way for other projects instead of taking up conservation of the grassland. This is the reason why the proposal was dropped twice from the state wildlife board meeting.” 

An official from the forest department backed the objections raised by conservationists and said that creation of other spaces will only make conservation difficult. The proposal was not also discussed with them when the animal husbandry department was in favour of declaring the area a conservation reserve. 
Conservationists said flora and fauna surveys done by citizens, ornithologists and experts have revealed that the region has a rich biodiversity. It is home to a large bird population and small fauna, ideal to be declared as a conservation reserve.