Bangalore’s only grassland in danger

Hesaraghatta grassland, the 300-acre catchment area for Hesaraghatta lake and the only surviving grassland in the city, is in danger. The habitat of a thousand species of reptiles and insects and various endangered species of birds, the land may soon be converted into a concrete jungle if the state government’s plan to build a film city materialises.

While activists have been voicing concerns over the fate of Hesaraghatta grassland, which is one of the few remaining grasslands in the country, the state government is yet to scrap its plan of building a film city on it. The land, which belongs to animal husbandry department, was leased to the Karnataka Film Industries Development Corporation for 100 years in the 1970s.

The state government recently revived the plan to build the film city.
“There is no dearth of film cities. Moreover, filmmakers have moved out of the film city culture. But the grassland has to be protected at any cost,” said Mahesh Bhat, an activist.

Explaining the mindset behind the conversion of the grassland into a film city, Bhat said: “Most people believe a grassland or a desert is waste land. There are conscious efforts to save trees—which is important—but grasslands are just as important,” he said.

The grassland is as important as the tropical rain forest, but it has been neglected by the ministry of environment and forests, according to the planning commission.

Bhat said the Hesaraghatta grassland is home to many birds and animals, many of them—such as Lesser Florican—are in the Schedule I of endangered species. “Lesser Florican was recently sighted at Hesaraghatta almost 100 years after it was last spotted. Blackbucks can thrive on this piece of land; so can endangered Indian Bull or Indian Fox,” he said.

The state government plans to spend at least `400 crore for rejuvenating Arkavathi river basin. But the river basin cannot be revamped without protecting Hesaraghatta grassland, which is the river’s catchment area.

Bhat said the efforts to save the river basin would go waste unless the grassland is protected. “The Hesaraghatta grassland acts as a sponge and absorbs the rain water. The river basin cannot be rejuvenated without protecting the catchment area,” he said.

“As the city is poisoned by increasing levels of arsenic, iron and fluoride in water, recharging the ground water is crucial. The Hesaraghatta grassland will improve the ground water levels in the area,” Bhat said.