Citing deadline, tourism department pushes Roerich eco-tourism plan in Karnataka | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: Citing the city’s lack of nature-based recreational spaces and a looming central funding deadline, the tourism department has made a strong pitch to implement a Rs 99.2-crore eco-tourism and cultural hub at Roerich and Devika Rani estate, located off Kanakapura Road and bordering Bannerughatta forest range.At a high-level review meeting chaired by forest minister Eshwar Khandre Thursday, a day before the matter came up at the high court, tourism officials stressed that if the project isn’t executed by March 2026, the state stands to lose Rs 65 crore in central funds earmarked for the initiative. The govt has granted its in-principle approval for the project, which, if implemented, will see a mix of amenities, including cultural centres, walking trails, eco-lodges, and public infrastructure. Officials argued Bengaluru, despite its size and population, lacks a large-scale green recreational zone anchored in ecological and cultural heritage. The Roerich estate, they said, could fill that gap.Tourism officials also claimed the project doesn’t require separate forest clearance under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and assured the minister that all construction and development would be compliant with the Forest and Wildlife Acts. “We’ve planned eco-sensitive designs and intend to follow stringent mitigation measures. With the estate’s legacy and landscape, this could become a model site for sustainable cultural tourism,” a senior official said. However, forest department officials at the same meeting raised red flags over the ecological sensitivity of the area. The 468-acre estate lies within an elephant corridor that connects Bannerughatta and Savanadurga forest ranges. Karnataka’s only elephant overpass, designed to help these animals migrate across human-dominated landscapes, is located nearby. Forest officials shared camera trap images showing regular movement of elephants, leopards and other scheduled mammals in the region. “The estate is part of a fragile corridor. Construction here will fragment wildlife movement, especially of large mammals,” a forest official present at the meeting said. However, senior forest officials did not formally object to the tourism department’s plan during the review meeting, according to multiple sources.In fact, earlier on Tuesday, the principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) had recommended the project to the Union environment ministry. “There are some technical issues encountered in the Parivesh portal while uploading the working and management plans. Hence, the management plan of the tourism department is submitted with a request to forward it to the MoEF&CC regional office for further approval,” the PCCF letter read. Tourism officials at the meeting are said to have acknowledged the presence of wildlife, but maintained that their design includes mitigation measures and does not violate forest laws.