Elephant Corridor survey process completed: NBF thanks Bengaluru Urban DC

NBF had submitted a petition to fasten the survey of the 1000-acre survey of the Elephant Corridor in the Bannerghatta National Park and restore ownership rights of 232 acres of land converted to revenue land back to the forest department.

Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) on Friday thanked Bengaluru Urban DC J Manjunath for fast tracking the Elephant Corridor survey process and getting it completed. NBF along with Vruksha Foundation met the Bengaluru Urban at his office on February 25, 2022 and had submitted a petition to fasten the survey of the 1000-acre survey of the Elephant Corridor in the Bannerghatta National Park and restore ownership rights of 232 acres of land converted to revenue land back to the forest department.

“The elephant corridor will go a long way in protecting the city’s ecology and biodiversity, reducing man-animal conflict in these regions and benefit the farmers. We urge the government to further take the necessary steps to resolve the disputes prevailing in the region that have prevented the restoration of the corridor so far,” the NBF petition stated.

NBF since 2017 has been in the forefront in the fight to save and restore the Bannerghatta National Park (BNP). Save Bannerghatta Campaign was an NBF initiative taken up to oppose illegal quarrying, poaching, sand theft and reduction of the Eco-Sensitive Zone in and around the park. NBF through its campaigns has been instrumental in fighting illegal mining and destruction of the forest and continues to fight in the interest of safeguarding national assets such as the Bannerghatta National Park and in the larger interest of society.

Namma Bengaluru Foundation GM Vinod Jacob said, “Bengalureans are lucky to have a National Park in their city and this must be protected and conserved for future generations. It is crucial to protect the Bannerghatta National Park and the elephant corridor since this is a biodiversity rich zone and plays an important role for the existence of animals and the ecology that is present in this space. The park and the Ragihalli elephant corridor are important for the elephants to survive, and this survey is vital for the protection of this corridor. The elephants need a minimum of 125 square miles for their grazing and diet patterns. They feed on grass, trees, barks, leaves from the forest and encroaching their habitat will lead to human animal conflict. The buffer zones of the BNP need to be protected to preserve and conserve the national park for these herbivorous giants.”

Vijay Nishanth, founder, Project Vruksha Foundation said, “The completion of the survey is a great development for Bannerghatta National Park and Bengaluru. We need to protect these elephants and their habitats as it will help other species too. Further to this, the government should also look into the overall development of the Bannerghatta region.”

Namma Bengaluru Foundation: Namma Bengaluru Foundation is an NGO that works determinedly to Protect Bengaluru and the rights of its citizens and Neighbourhoods. It works through advocacy, partnership, and activism for a better Bengaluru. The foundation acts as a platform for citizens to participate in the city’s planning and governance, to fight corruption and ensure accountability of public money and government assets.