The Karnataka Rashtra Samithi (KRS) has urged the state government to drop the plans for a proposed international cricket stadium in the Anekal taluk of Bengaluru Urban district. The KRS said that this would allegedly be a threat to the Bannerghatta National Park and the ecosystem it sustains.
In a press conference on Tuesday, May 19, KRS leaders, including joint secretary Jeevan L, stated that the construction of a stadium just 1.5 km away from the national park would significantly affect the biodiversity and the wildlife of the region.
This proposed stadium is expected to be built on 70 acres of land at Indlawadi village in the Anekal taluk, at an estimated cost of Rs 900 crore. It will seat 80,000 spectators.
KRS said that the project would lead to large-scale urbanisation and commercialisation of the forest corridor, which connects the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary and the Male Mahadeshwara Hills Wildlife Sanctuary.
The demands of the KRS included the disclosure of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report and the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the stadium. They also pointed out that the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around Bannerghatta National Park had reduced significantly from 268 sq km earlier to 168 sq km in 2020.
Furthermore, they referred to a case pending before the Supreme Court regarding the reduction of ESZ. They said that the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), in a report issued on January 5, recommended restoring the 268 sq km eco-sensitive zone notified in 2016.
The KRS leaders alleged that the proposed stadium may fall under this zone of dispute and questioned the logic of proceeding with the project when the area is under dispute in court.
This article was written by a student interning with TNM.
