The High Court of Karnataka has directed the Karnataka State Board for Wildlife to decide afresh the proposal submitted by the Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Bengaluru region, for declaring Hesarghatta Grasslands as ‘Greater Hesaraghatta Conservation Reserve’ area.

The court said that the Board “has passed the order in a cryptic and cavalier manner without adverting to the relevant criteria as prescribed in Section 36A of the (Wild Life Protection) Act.”

ABOUT HESARGHATTA GRASSLANDS

Located about 30 km to the north-west of Bengaluru, the Hesaraghatta lakebed spans an area of about 1912 acres (744 ha) and is essentially dry for most part of the year. It is fully dependent on rainfall for its water. The 356 acres of landscape surrounding the lakebed is the last remaining grassland habitat in Bengaluru region. the

The grassland surrounding the lakebed supports unique biodiversity. Around 235 species of birds, some of them listed as endangered or vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, glide across the sky. Around 400 species of insects, of which nearly 30 have been described as new to science by entomologists, and 100 species of butterflies including the rare lilac silverline (Cigaritis lilacinus), have chosen this land. as their breeding spot.

Hesaraghatta tank is one of the two major water reservoirs of the Arkavathy river. Originating in the Nandi Hills, the river Arkavathy was once an important source of water for Bengaluru before the city switched to river Cauvery for all its water needs. Arkavathy river feeds a series of cascading tanks including Hesaraghatta.

Hesaraghatta tank was mostly neglected until the Yettinahole river diversion project caught the fancy of the Karnataka government. The project proposes to divert 24 TMC (thousand million cubic feet) of water from streams like Yettinahole, Kadumanehole, Kerihole and Hongadahalla, originating in the upper reaches of Western Ghats in Karnataka, to drought-prone areas of the state like Kolar and rural Bengaluru. As part of the project, lakes like Hesaraghatta would be augmented to provide water to rural Bengaluru.

Avifauna

Birds such as the White-breasted Kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis), Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis), Little Egrets, Common Mynas (Acridotheres tristis), Brahminy Kites, Black Drongos, Bulbuls, greater coucals, purple sunbirds, etc.,  have been reported in and around the lake periphery. Documented records of sighting of 2000 water birds of 29 species have been reported. The lake is also a great place for the winter migrants. Harriers and spotted eagles have been reported on this lake during winter.