ROADBLOCK: The ropeway project at Chamundi Hills in Mysore has come under fire, as citizens it will threaten the fragile ecosystem. — PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

MYSORE: Prominent citizens of Mysore have demanded the scrapping of the ropeway project at Chamundi Hills, whose fragile eco-system is already under threat due to encroachments.

They have urged the Government to drop the project and demanded an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before it is cleared. They have threatened to stall the "guddali puja" to be held on August 12.

A group of individuals, under the banner of Association of Concerned and Informed Citizens of Mysore, told presspersons here on Saturday that the ropeway project will be a precursor to the entry of land mafia and realtors, who will acquire land and encroach on the hills under the pretext of "development".

The Chamundi Hills are already under tremendous stress due to land encroachment at the foothills and construction works taken up on the top, the association pointed out.

Thousands of pilgrims visit the hills during the weekdays and more than 20,000 during weekends. The Government should take steps to conserve Chamundi Hills and its ecosystem instead of sanctioning the project which will add to the ecological stress, they said.

Mysore is in danger of losing its green cover as large tracts of forest land around the Chamundi Hills have been encroached upon and destroyed. The citizens should rally around to conserve the hills which is an intrinsic part of the environmental, cultural and spiritual heritage of Mysore.

The members representing the association said that there are two roads going up the Chamundi Hills and there are regular bus services to cater to the visitors. Tourists get a good view of the city from the road as they drive up the hills and the ropeway will adversely affect the ambience without adding to its beauty, said the members.

Chamundi Hills not only provides green cover and lung space for Mysore, but is also a major watershed and helps in ground water recharge and regulating the micro climatic conditions. The project will entail the destruction of a large strip of forest land measuring at least two km in length and 10 m wide to facilitate the ropeway and the construction of pylons at every 50 metres will require additional clearance on the hillside for paving the way for access paths which will further lead to encroachment. Add to this the requirement of forest lands for setting up workers' hutments, petty shops, area for the machinery, standby generators, and space for vehicle parking. All this will destroy Mysore's green cover.

The funds earmarked for the ropeway project can instead be used to develop tourist spots in and around Mysore.

The association cited the experience of cableways elsewhere in India to prove that these are gimmicks that last only a for short time and in the long-run are ill-maintained. "But the damage to the environment of Chamundi Hills and the heritage loss of Mysore will be permanent," Sudhir Vombatkere, who is also a member of the Task Force on Heritage constituted by the State Government, said.

The members expressed fears that the project will be a precursor to other "development works", such as a safari park, which are in the anvil and will spell doom for the Chamundi Hills.

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