Stone Quarrying in Bandipur Eco-Zone Threatens Temple

Bengaluru: Some persons conduct stone quarrying in Eco-Sensitive Zone of Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Jayalakshmipura and Shivapura causing disturbance to wildlife and the stone extraction at the Eco-Sensitive Zone has been going on right under the nose of the officials concerned but nothing substantial happened to put an end to it.

Villagers and a wildlife activist allege the extraction of boulders are from Rishi Betta and Gowri Betta and they claimed both the Hills to be part of Bandipur Tiger Reserve but Tiger Reserve officials stated “It is not part of the Reserve however it falls under the eco-sensitive zone of the Reserve which falls close to the Reserve boundary in Jayalakshmipura and Shivapura.”

An official source told Deccan Chronicle on Wednesday the stone extraction has been going on without any permission from officials concerned on government land and claimed the extraction of boulders has been done manually. While, a wildlife activist alleged villagers have come across instances of stone extraction using machinery to supply the extracted boulders for construction activities.

The wildlife activist stated the Rishi Betta and Gowri Betta are hills, form part of the Tiger Reserve, and boulders are extracted from the Hills and slowly these hills are losing boulders putting the hills under threat. Besides, the activist observed the extraction of boulders is close to a Rama Temple at the hills.

The activist observed stone extraction reportedly taking place about 20-meters from the Rama Temple at the Gowri hill, Jayalakshmipura and the activists enquired with the locals to find out the extraction of boulders had come to a halt for some time but again resumed.

A forest officer attached to Bandipur Tiger Reserve stated “It is for the revenue and mines and geology officials to act even if it is in the eco-sensitive zone.”