#SaveBannerghatta: Protests Spark In Bengaluru Against Proposed Six-Lane Highway

#SaveBannerghatta: Development at the cost of harming the environment has been a long-time debate, which always divided people over the pros and cons. Recently, a protest sparked against the government's proposal for constructing a six-lane elevated highway within Bengaluru's Bannerghatta National Park (BNP).

According to the reports, the people living in the nearby areas and environmental activists have raised a flag against the construction of a six-lane highway that may have detrimental effects on the park's delicate ecosystem.

The activists have started a campaign called 'Save Bannerghatta', aiming to stop the construction and safeguard the national park in Karnataka.

According to the reports, the proposed National Highways project will connect Bannerghatta and Jigani Roads. This project, a component of the satellite township ring road (STRR), will span the 3.85-kilometer stretch of the current road linking Bannerghatta and Jigani Road.

Notably, the project has been approved by the National Board of Wildlife.

However, no construction activity has come up within Cubbon Park ever since the government came up with the Karnataka Government Park (Preservation) Act in 1975.

The STRR initiative aims to link seven towns surrounding Bengaluru while also easing congestion on city roads. The project involves utilizing 27.45 acres of the national park's core area and 14 acres within the buffer zone. This elevated segment is part of the 280-kilometer-long STRR, with completion anticipated by December 2025.

Biologist Sanjay Gubbi emphasized the importance of meticulously planned and scientifically informed mitigation measures rather than relying on ad hoc solutions. He stressed the necessity of understanding wildlife movement patterns, particularly those of elephants.

Gubbi expressed concerns that the project's implementation could diminish elephant habitat and escalate human-wildlife conflicts over time, given that approximately 100 elephants currently navigate the landscape.