By Anuksha Dey
Turahalli forest off Kanakapura Road is one of Bengaluru’s last surviving natural forests. Home to the spotted deer, porcupine, and peacock, this 600-acre land is a sanctuary for its unique flora and fauna. While there is a 28-acre under-utilised tree park, the government is now planning to convert 400-acres of the forest into a tree park. Citizens are livid with this decision since Tuesday and negotiations are being conducted between resident groups and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sanjai Mohan. But why is a resident body protesting against the creation of a tree park for its own use? Here are the reasons.
Plans to build a tree park
A tree park was one of the plans in the Bengaluru Mission 2022 published by the chief minister of Karnataka. The forest department stated that the work being carried out near the forest was not related to the tree park and was only meant to prevent forest fires. However, plans for the tree park were discussed by the PCCF in a meeting with local residents on Wednesday. “We were told they were going to create a walking track, a parking lot, an information centre, a canteen and public toilets inside the Turahalli forest,” says T Ameen, a local resident and core member of the Save Turahalli Movement.
“A large amount of vegetation will have to be cleared for civil work,” says ecologist Dr Krishna MB. “There’ll be pollution due to road laying. The levelling will involve earth work, which might cause erosion, and the seepage areas for rain will be reduced due to concretisation.”
Changing the structure of the forested area
The authorities have assured that the trees that are cut down will be replaced when the tree park is created. However, a forest has a complex structure of trees. Converting a forest into a tree park will change the ecology of the place and make it unhabitable for certain species. “A tree park has scattered trees and places for people to utilize,” explains Dr Krishna. “In a forest, there is age structuring… a tree can be there as a seedling, or as a full-grown tree, or one that is dying. The greenery at different levels supports a wide variety of species.”
Furthermore, shrubs may be cleared once the forest is turned into a tree park to prevent anti-social elements. “In a forest, a variety of plant species begets a variety of fauna,” says Dr Krishna. “In a manicured and artificially-maintained tree park, the biodiversity may get reduced due to the intervention.”
The Turahalli Kiru Aranya
The Turahalli Kiru Aranya is a 28-acre tree park created in 2019. The tree park was created by the government to protect the 600-acre reserve forest from trekkers and cyclists who used to frequent the place. The residents are against the forest department converting the remaining forest area into a second tree park as the Turahalli Kiru Aranya itself remains underutilized till date.
Turahalli Forest: The only forest within the city
Nature lovers in Bengaluru have a special space for Turahalli. Before the area was secured and fenced, the forest used to be a hub for bird watchers, bikers and adventurers. “I have been going to Turahalli for more than 30 years,” says mountaineer and environment activist Kavitha Reddy. “Every Sunday, we used to be there for rock climbing. Before the forest was secured, tons of people used to come here for birdwatching; the area has many peacocks, birds and a rich biodiversity.”
Leo F Saldanha of the Environmental Support Group, who has been at the forefront of the movement to save the Turahalli forest, says, “I have been to Turahalli since the 1980s and it has improved my life experience.” Citizens and activists have been fighting for conservation of the forest right from 2009 when a part of the forest was encroached by the BDA.
Recommendation by environmental organisations
According to Saldanha, the forest department should turn the Turrahalli forest into an educational space for natural history. “A forest is not supposed to be fenced off and blocked from the public,” he says. “The public should learn to live with the forest. It is critical especially for children to understand what a forest is in order to understand the planet they live in.”
Dr AN Yellappa Reddy, the chairman of Bangalore Environment Trust and a recipient of the Indira Priyadarshini award in the field of forestry has also criticised the plan of turning the entire forest into a tree park. “The forest has a research plot where a variety of exotic flora was planted in the 1970s and 80s,” he says in a letter to Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Research. “These plants are now flourishing well and supporting a host of unique avian fauna, insects as well as reptiles.” Dr. Reddy has requested him to discuss with the PCCF and protect the research plot as an urban wilderness zone and recommend a botanical garden in the Eucalyptus plantation near the forest area.
Protests by the community
There have been two protests by the local community so far with around 250 people participating in each. The residents of the area have also submitted a memorandum to the Range Forest Officer. There have been a number of talks between the residents and the PCCF after the protests. “All the people who attended the meeting unanimously said we do not want a tree park inside the forest,” says conservationist M Aleem, a member of the residents group.
The PFFC has said that he will convey the problems of the residents to his seniors. However, Saldanha says, “The PCCF seems adamant to build a tree park there. He said he will reconsider shifting the plan to another area as the residents do not support the tree park. But he is yet to get back to us on this issue.”
The residents group has started a petition on Jhatka.org to save the Turahalli Forest so that citizens from other parts of Bangalore as well as NRI’s can voice their concerns to The chief minister as well as the PFFC. You can sign this petition by clicking here.
