A four-member committee arrange by Bangalore College (BU) to check the feasibility of organising College of Visvesvaraya School of Engineering (UVCE) in 50-acre house in its Jnanabharathi Campus has discovered that the institution of the college will result in ‘ecological harm’.
The abstract of the report reviewed by The Indian Categorical confirmed that any diversion on ‘biodiversity wealthy space’ will violate the Biodiversity Act 2004 and Environmental Safety Act 1986 of Authorities of India. Quite the opposite, Increased Schooling Minister Dr M C Sudhakar, referring to a report that he had reviewed, claimed that it’s not an ecologically delicate space and BU has agreed to switch the land for establishing UVCE.
“The committee was fashioned primarily based on opposition from a bit of walkers. Nevertheless, the committee report has given a inexperienced sign to determine UVCE highlighting no harm to the biodiversity. In reality, the 50-acre land parcel isn’t a biopark as claimed by some. When UVCE was affiliated with BU beforehand, it had generated important income for the college. Moreover, as per the Excessive Court docket order, the campus can be utilized for training functions and there are already a number of establishments who’ve leased out the campus land for such functions. Due to this fact, the criticism in opposition to establishing UVCE is baseless,” mentioned Sudhakar including that 5 corporations have already submitted Expression of Curiosity for the design of UVCE.
Abstract highlights presence of wealthy biodiversity
Nevertheless, the abstract report that The Indian Categorical accessed contradicted the declare by the upper training minister. The committee discovered that the 50-acre land park in query is wealthy in biodiversity and residential to a number of natural world, together with a few of unique and uncommon species. Consequently, the committee within the abstract’s report acknowledged that, “The findings emphasize the significance of conserving such forests, defending them from anthropogenic actions, and banning building work. The land shall not be diverted to another objective, as Biopark performs an important position in carbon sequestration and contributes considerably to ecological stability and variety and attaining the SDG targets.”
The examine space coated solely survey No.12 underneath Biopark Sector 9, behind Gandhi Bhavan and adjoining to NGEF Structure the place the federal government is exploring to determine UVCE. This a part of Biopark has been developed since 2015, together with pure vegetation related to birds, bugs, animals, and microbial range.
The college established the biopark within the campus throughout 2000 via a syndicate determination dated March 27, 2000. It was developed with Saptha vanas, together with Smriti vana, Charka vana, Shushruta vana, Sanjeevini vana, Madhu vana, Bonsai Backyard, Panchavati van, Ksheera vana and Sahayadri vana to guard, protect the biodiversity of campus and utilization for analysis actions.
The abstract acknowledged that over 150 completely different tree species belonging to 58 completely different households have been recorded within the proposed 50-acre land to UVCE. Practically 47 species recorded within the proposed space are talked about within the Worldwide Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) globally threatened Crimson Knowledge checklist species. A significant function of this space is its giant historic sandalwood reserve, together with just a few pink sandalwood timber with dense and naturally regenerating lots of of sandal wooden timber with a top of greater than 15 ft.
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An evaluation of 35,000 timber revealed a complete biomass of 6.5 million kg with a carbon content material of three.25 million kg and a carbon sequestration potential of 11.94 million tonnes. The carbon sequestration potential primarily signifies the overall quantity of carbon dioxide that these timber can soak up over time, serving to fight local weather change. Additional, these timber additionally launch 8.7 million tonnes of oxygen, important for sustaining air high quality.
The proposed space can be a nest for 134 fowl species, together with each aquatic and terrestrial birds. Moreover, the realm in query includes a number of epiphytes, climbers, palms and hundreds of various medicinal herbs, that are listed underneath the Nationwide Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB) priorities checklist of medicinal plant cultivation.
The abstract lastly concludes, “As a method ahead, (Bangalore) College has beforehand taken the choice to declare biopark as protected land via a syndicate determination. And Bangalore College which has acquired A accreditation from NAAC by showcasing its distinctive + distinctiveness of Environmental sustainability via biodiversity conservation, ought to ban all anthropogenic actions and building work within the biodiversity wealthy space and implement its suggestions as offered to NAAC accreditation by recommending to declare Biodiversity wealthy space as Heritage website underneath Organic Range Act 200.”
In the meantime, BU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Jayakara S M didn’t reply to calls by The Indian Categorical. Minister Sudhakar chatting with The Indian Categorical, argued that, “When now we have envisioned UVCE on the strains of IITs and over par with non-public establishments, it’s crucial that we give a brand new lease of life. When now we have to compete with non-public establishments over infrastructure, we have to revitalize our establishments and develop them with sturdy infrastructure.”
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Why was a committee fashioned?
The Karnataka authorities had sought a 50-acre land parcel on the 800-acre Jananabharati campus for organising of UVCE on the strains of IITs, which is at the moment situated within the coronary heart of the town close to KR circle. The Increased Schooling Division had additionally sought Rs 500 crore from the finance division for establishing UVCE, following which the state cupboard additionally authorised the discharge of Rs 100 crore as a primary installment.
Nevertheless, quickly after the announcement, environmentalists and conservationists flagged the proposal of organising UVCE within the biodiversity wealthy space of BU, citing environmental considerations. In reality, a few of them additionally submitted memorandums to Governor Thawar Chand Gehlot looking for intervention within the matter. The Governor’s workplace directed BU to type a committee to check the environmental feasibility of organising the institute within the 50-acre land parcel. A committee underneath the chairmanship of Srinivas Chowdappa, Professor, Division of Microbiology & Biotechnology who can be Registrar (Analysis) of BU, was fashioned in October 2024. In keeping with sources accustomed to the event, the committee had submitted its report back to the Vice-Chancellor in December 2024.
300 acres of leased land
Out of the 800 acres of Jnanabharati campus, round 300 acres have been leased out to varied establishments and amenities for training and different functions.
Sports activities Authority of India (SAI) has occupied a good portion of the campus spreading round 81 acres. Increased training and analysis institutions just like the Ambedkar College of Economics (43 acres), Nationwide Regulation College of India College (30 acres), the Regional Institute of English (11 acres), and the Institute for Social and Financial Change (38 acres) additionally maintain important parts.
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Moreover, organisations corresponding to Atomic Power (15 acres), Indian Institute of Plantation Administration (5 acres), Dhanavantri (8 acres), NAAC (10 acres), Kannada Bhasha Sahitya Adayana (3 acres) are additionally performing on the leased land. Numerous pupil hostels, together with these for OBC and minority college students, occupy smaller plots, whereas important public providers like a police station, fireplace station and metro infrastructure are additionally current. In the meantime, a 15-acre lease for Yoga Sciences has been cancelled within the syndicate, although the formal cancellation is pending.