Representational image BENGALURU: Following a dispute mirroring the Aravalli controversy, members of a Supreme Court-appointed panel will inspect Bannerghatta National Park Friday after a plea against a 2018 govt move to cut the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around Bengaluru’s green backyard. The park is facing pressure from mining and real estate interests eyeing its contiguous landscape. At the core of the standoff is govt’s move to drastically shrink ESZ from 268.9sqkm to 168.8sqkm and curtail its width from 4km to just 1km.A group of citizens and activists led by K Belliappa had approached Supreme Court in May 2025, arguing the reduction undermines the purpose of an ESZ. On Friday, members of the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC), led by Chandra Prakash Goyal, will survey the park and speak to senior Karnataka officials, including the chief secretary, to assess the ecological impact of the reduction. Vanishing buffer In a preliminary notification in June 2016, the Union environment ministry had in consultation with the state proposed declaring 268.9sqkm around BNP as ESZ. However, the final notification of Nov 2018 sharply curtailed the protected area – a decision the petitioners alleged was influenced by real estate developers and mining and quarrying interests. They contended that several ecologically sensitive pockets surrounding well-documented elephant corridors were excluded from the final notification. Kiran Urs, a member of the Bannerghatta Nature Conservation Trust (BNCT), said ESZ reduction appeared to be an attempt to legitimise existing ecological violations. “The pockets excluded from the final notification contain active quarries, and there were efforts to build a township along the boundary, which will inevitably exert immense pressure on the ecosystem,” Urs alleged. Somashekhar, a farmer from Kaduchikkanahalli near the park, claimed he came under pressure to sell his land even after the final ESZ notification. “However, I continue to hold my land and grow ragi,” he said. Keerthan Reddy of BNCT described the park as one of the best ecological gifts for a burgeoning Bengaluru. “No other city can boast this vast green landscape in its backyard, dotted with a salubrious population of tigers, elephants, leopards, and countless other species of flora and fauna. The city is already witness to rising incidents of human-animal conflict, and violations like these would only add to the problem,” Reddy cautioned.About the AuthorNiranjan KaggereNiranjan Kaggere is a Senior Assistant Editor with over 20 years of experience and adept at writing, reporting on wide range of issues that affect society. Passionate about reporting on environment, wildlife, energy, history & state secretariat, his news reports deliver in-depth, engaging content to diverse audiences. In free time, Niranjan sets out to forest, farms exploring the natural world.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosCongress Leader Nana Patole’s ‘Rahul Like Ram’ Remark Sparks Row; BJP Hits BackWest Bengal SIR Brings Home A Man Presumed Dead For 28 Years In UP’s MuzaffarnagarIndia And Pakistan Exchange List Of Nuclear Installations Under 1988 Agreement‘Vote Theft In Bengal’: TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee Slams ECI Over SIR, BJP Fires Back180 Kmph While You Sleep! India’s Latest Vande Bharat Sleeper Marks New Era. Check Fares, FeaturesBJP Leader Attacks Shah Rukh Khan Over KKR’s Bangladeshi Cricketer Amid Hindu Lynching in BangladeshRajnath Singh Links Lord Ram’s Ethics To Operation Sindoor, Says India Fought Terror With DignityCleanliness Crown Cracks As Indore Loses 13 Lives To Poisoned Water And Administrative Lapses’India Belongs To Everyone’: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat After Tripura Student Dies In Racial AttackIndia’s Silent Warriors On Kartavya Path Bring Army’s Battle-Tested Animals To Republic Day Parade123PhotostoriesHow to make Banana Almond Cake in a pressure cookerVande Bharat Sleeper Train Launch Soon On This Route! Indian Railways’ New Train Better Than Rajdhani – Check Photos, Ticket Price & Top 10 Facts10 iconic dishes the Mughals gave to IndiaCalcium isn’t enough: The bone mineral women forgetKidney damage: 10 symptoms of kidney problems people mistake for dehydration3 bitter truths about packaged foods you didn’t knowInside ‘Bigg Boss 19’ fame Ashnoor Kaur’s tech-savvy Mumbai homeFrom Arjun Tendulkar-Saaniya Chandhok to Taylor Swift-Travis Kelce: 5 most-anticipated celebrity weddings of 2026How to make Hara Bhara Kebab for evening snackingTV celebs like Ashnoor Kaur, Hina Khan are welcoming 2026 with open arms in unique ways; here’s how – See Inside123Hot PicksSaudi Strike YemenPAN-Aadhaar link statusBank holiday New YearGold rate todayIncome Tax RefundBahrain Golden Visa 2025Bank Holidays DecemberTop TrendingJustin Thomas Net WorthWWE Star Nikki BellaCardi BCeeDee Lamb Luxury Car CollectionStefon DiggsCaitlin ClarkTom BradyMicah Parsons vs CeeDee Lamb Net WorthNHL Injury UpdateVanessa Bryant
BENGALURU: Following a dispute mirroring the Aravalli controversy, members of a Supreme Court-appointed panel will inspect Bannerghatta National Park Friday after a plea against a 2018 govt move to cut the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) around Bengaluru’s green backyard. The park is facing pressure from mining and real estate interests eyeing its contiguous landscape. At the core of the standoff is govt’s move to drastically shrink ESZ from 268.9sqkm to 168.8sqkm and curtail its width from 4km to just 1km.A group of citizens and activists led by K Belliappa had approached Supreme Court in May 2025, arguing the reduction undermines the purpose of an ESZ. On Friday, members of the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC), led by Chandra Prakash Goyal, will survey the park and speak to senior Karnataka officials, including the chief secretary, to assess the ecological impact of the reduction.
Vanishing buffer
In a preliminary notification in June 2016, the Union environment ministry had in consultation with the state proposed declaring 268.9sqkm around BNP as ESZ. However, the final notification of Nov 2018 sharply curtailed the protected area – a decision the petitioners alleged was influenced by real estate developers and mining and quarrying interests. They contended that several ecologically sensitive pockets surrounding well-documented elephant corridors were excluded from the final notification. Kiran Urs, a member of the Bannerghatta Nature Conservation Trust (BNCT), said ESZ reduction appeared to be an attempt to legitimise existing ecological violations. “The pockets excluded from the final notification contain active quarries, and there were efforts to build a township along the boundary, which will inevitably exert immense pressure on the ecosystem,” Urs alleged. Somashekhar, a farmer from Kaduchikkanahalli near the park, claimed he came under pressure to sell his land even after the final ESZ notification. “However, I continue to hold my land and grow ragi,” he said. Keerthan Reddy of BNCT described the park as one of the best ecological gifts for a burgeoning Bengaluru. “No other city can boast this vast green landscape in its backyard, dotted with a salubrious population of tigers, elephants, leopards, and countless other species of flora and fauna. The city is already witness to rising incidents of human-animal conflict, and violations like these would only add to the problem,” Reddy cautioned.
