BENGALURU: In a letter addressed to the Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan, Retired Justice Michael F Saldanha has once again urged the central ministry to intervene and stop the mining near Bannerghatta National Park.
Praising former Lokayukta Justice N Santosh Hegde for putting a stop to illegal mining, Saldanha has written that had it not been the former Lokayukta, the state would have had more desert areas than Rajasthan.
Saldanha has also attacked the central government for allowing the cutting down of 50,000 trees to pave roads in an elephant corridor. "In Bannerghatta, thanks to the corruption levels that prevail we have huge townships and even a five-star institution share boundary with the National Park. The whole project is illegal," the letter read.
It further said that his letter written to the CM on the issue of illegal mining still awaits an acknowledgement. Tree doctor Vijay Nishanth has reposed his faith in the union environment minister. "I am hopeful that Mr Vardhan will take action. We are in touch with him and hope that he will answer the concerns," he said.
