A cross-section of citizens under the banner ‘Save Chamundi Hills Committee’ will seek to ascertain the stance of candidates contesting the Lok Sabha elections on environmental issues germane to Mysuru.
Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, the members of the committee said that they will approach the candidates of all political parties and contestants in fray for the elections asking them to spell out their views on the ropeway to Chamundi Hills and issues pertaining to conservation.
Similarly, the committee wanted the development works under PRASHAD scheme to be disbanded and instead greening of Chamundi Hills and conservation of water bodies be taken up.
Parashurame Gowda of the committee said that though the proposed ropeway project was given a temporary burial some time ago, it has been revived by the recent remarks of Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari during his visit to the city. The Minister, who listed a series of projects in the offing, also said that ropeway to Chamundi Hills was one of them triggering outrage from the activists.
The committee members pointed out that the opposition to the ropeway has spanned over two decades and hence it was time for the decision makers to disband the project and give it a permanent burial instead of reviving it time and again.
The proposal has been made time and again from the period when Ramakrishna Hegde was the Chief Minister and has met with strong opposition, according to the committee members.
They also cited the report of the Chief Conservator of Forest of Mysuru Circle dated August 21, 2012, that there was no need for a ropeway to Chamundi Hills, which has multiple all-weather approach roads. The report of the Forest Department official had also cited other environmental factors as to why the ropeway was not essential.
Mr. Gowda said that more than 70,000 people had signed a petition against the project in February 2022. A round table conference was conducted in April 2022 in which subject experts spelt out their views as to why the ropeway was not essential. It was also pointed out that Pramoda Devi Wadiyar of the erstwhile royal family, politician V. Srinivas Prasad, Chamundeshwari MLA G.T. Deve Gowda, writers S.L. Bhyrappa and Devanur Mahadev, and others had also opposed the project.
“It will be interesting to ascertain the stance of Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar as he has strong views on environment and conservation issues and whether he will oppose the project being proposed by the BJP which he now represents,” said the committee members.
N.S. Rangaraju of INTACH, Mysuru, and others were present.
