Greens question implementation of PRASHAD scheme at Chamundi Hills without Environment Impact Assessment

The push to “develop” Chamundi Hills under the Union government’s Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) has drawn the ire of citizens, who have planned a rally against it on January 4.

The ‘Save Chamundi Hills’ walk will commence from the steps — near the JSS Mutt — to the hill top, at 7.30 a.m., and is the initiative of various NGOs and public-spirited persons from Mysuru and surrounding areas.

It is being spearheaded by Parisarakkagi Naavu (People for Environment) in association with Mysuru Grahakara Parishat, Team Mysuru, People’s Union for Civil Liberties, Belavala Foundation, Mysuru Cultural Association and other organisations.

Though Chamundi Hills has been caught in a tug of war between unsustainable development and conservation for the last two decades and is facing unbridled encroachment, the latest trigger for the public is the PRASHAD scheme, which will be implemented, as it entails a multipurpose hall, toilet facilities, and a lengthy pillared pavilion with stone columns along the stretch which will function as a holding area for pilgrims in queues.

Activists say such fresh constructions only add to the concretisation of Chamundi Hills and erode its forest cover. Parusharame Gowda from People for Environment said they are seeking an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and a study to establish the carrying capacity of Chamundi Hills. In its absence, projects like PRASHAD are being pushed through to the detriment of the environment in Chamundi Hills.

The activists have also expressed their dismay over the functioning of the Sri Chamundeshwari Kshetra Development Authority, constituted by the State government, which they claim functions more as a facilitator for project implementation rather than environment conservation.

Environmentalists said the citizens of Mysuru had prepared a draft of regulations governing the Authority and submitted it to the government. They sought the appointment of a geologist, environmental expert, heritage expert, and a hydrologist or water conservation expert to safeguard Chamundi Hills. But the existing body is replete with government officials devoid of any expertise, and they cannot challenge the decisions of the Authority as it is chaired by the Chief Minister.

In the absence of environmental focus, there is the growing concretisation of Chamundi Hills and its ecosystem under the pretext of “development”, with projects being pushed through without public consent.

The erstwhile Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) and successive governments ignored citizens’ pleas to declare a buffer area around Chamundi Hills on the grounds that its geological integrity extends far beyond the hill slope. But instead, the MUDA authorised scores of housing layouts, which have mushroomed around it like a belt and compromised its ecology.

Environmentalists argue that the importance of Chamundi Hills as a vital lung space that merits conservation has been lost on the authorities. Instead of being recognised as a sensitive ecological reserve, it is repeatedly viewed as prime real-estate potential, leaving it vulnerable to unchecked and damaging development, they added. In the process, the sanctity of the hills as a religious and spiritual centre is also being eroded owing to commercial growth, said the activists.