BENGALURU: A petition started by environmental activists to save Bannerghatta - ‘Save Bannerghatta: Halt Proposed 6-lane Flyover’, - has garnered as many as 16,606 signatures. The petition was filed on an online portal - Jhatkaa - an organisation committed to building grassroots citizen power across India.
The petition was filed against the proposed 6-lane flyover inside the Bannerghatta National Park, as part of the Satellite Township Ring Road (STRR) on the 3.85 km stretch of the existing road connecting Bannerghatta and Jigani Road, and aims to get atleast 50,000 signatures. Around 1,288 trees need to be cut for the project. This raises significant environmental and wildlife conservation concerns, and prompted the activists to urge the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) to withhold the clearance for the NHAI project.
“The project has clearance from the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) and involves the diversion of 27 acres 18 guntas of the core area and 14 acres in the buffer zone of the park. The proposed flyover, while aiming to address traffic concerns, could pose a threat to the delicate ecosystem, and disrupt the natural habitat of the wildlife,” the petition said.
The national park is a crucial biodiversity hotspot which is home to endangered species like Asian Elephants, Indian Gaur, Sambar Deer and serves as a vital green lung for the region. The proposed flyover, if not carefully planned and executed, could damage this ecosystem irreversibly, contributing to biodiversity loss and environmental degradation,” the petition read.