Now Reading: BWSSB flags encroachment in Hesaraghatta grassland reserve
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BWSSB flags encroachment in Hesaraghatta grassland reserve
A year after the state government notified the Greater Hesaraghatta Grassland Conservation Reserve, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has alerted the Forest Department to alleged encroachment and other violations…
The Story in Brief
A year after the state government notified the Greater Hesaraghatta Grassland Conservation Reserve, the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) has alerted the Forest Department to alleged encroachment and other violations in the catchment area and filed a police complaint. The BWSSB assistant executive engineer flagged construction activity near Headrights Lake, including illegal trespassing and levelling of land using earthmovers, in violation of conservation guidelines.
Soldevanahalli police have registered an FIR based on the complaint, stating that unidentified persons dumped soil, attempted to encroach, and tried to close a government stormwater drain. Forest Department sources said a deputy range forest officer stopped the work. The reserve, spanning 5,678 acres and owned mostly by the Animal Husbandry Department and BWSSB, was notified to protect its unique open natural ecosystem.
The Indian Opinion
The BWSSB's proactive complaint is a rare case of a government body flagging encroachment on its own land, but the real test is enforcement. Cynics may dismiss this as a routine alert that leads nowhere, yet the FIR and forest staff's intervention suggest some seriousness. The reserve is vital for Bengaluru's ecology and water catchments. Will the Forest Department now use the notification's statutory provisions to prosecute the offenders and restore the land?
Source: deccanherald.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
