Mysuru: At a time when Mysuru is moving towards a greater Mysuru, several people of all age groups from various organizations, environmentalists and Mysoreans expressed their concerns to prevent Mysuru from becoming a second Bengaluru with threat to its green cover and rich biodiversity for proposed development projects.
Everyone gathered early Sunday morning for a public meeting held at Basheer Ahmed Park in Siddique nagar in Mysuru to explore ways to save 350 trees proposed to be cleared for the Bengaluru Mysuru Expressway Flyover and Mysuru Ring Junction.
Raitha Sangha State President Badagalapura Nagendra asked the state government to come up with a vision group of experts to plan a systematic sustainable constructive growth of Mysuru while protecting its green wealth and its original nature and heritage beauty. People should develop environment conscious and unite and sound to protect the natural wealth of Mysuru, he said.
Retired Major General Sudhir G Vombatkere said, “Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar, who ruled over Mysuru between 1894 and 1940, was a visionary in many senses. Even today, 88 years after his death, successive generations of Mysoreans appreciate the values that he outlined in visionary policies for the public. He focused on increasing the green cover, decades before the modern environment became commonplace.
“After Independence between 1976 and 1988, industrialization was the focus of development. However, successive governments of Karnataka understood Nalwadi’s vision, that development should protect the green cover for public benefit. Thus, Chief Minister D Devaraj Urs, led the passage of the Karnataka Tree Preservation Act. Nalwadi’s vision was far-sighted because it included mitigating climate extremes, when climate change itself was little understood, MUDA (1988) continued this vision of green heritage, with a “Green Mysuru” policy and focused on increasing green cover through tree planting, including planned participation in MU 25,000 saplings per year Over the years, Mysuru managed to preserve a large part of its green heritage areas of lakes and trees, thanks to continuous initiatives of residents (often led by activist NGOs and voluntary bodies) who are the recipients and caretakers of Nalwadi.
“Instead of insisting on development by building flyovers and widening roads to enable faster vehicular movement at the cost of cutting down trees, the government should protect the green heritage of Mysuru and increase its green cover in line with Nalwadi’s vision, the Karnataka Government’s own Tree Protection Act 1976 and make Mysuru great.”
Environmentalist Pavithra Mohan said, “We need to protect the rich biodiversity with so many species of trees planted in our cities like Mysuru in our country, which is rare to find in other parts of the world.”
Members of Parisarakkaagi Naavu led by Parashuramegowda, retired activists Prof. Marankaiah, Fayaz Ahmed, Sara Mishra of Reap Foundation and others participated. Members of several organizations like Team Mysuru participated.
When contacted, MCC commissioner Shaikh Tanveer Asif said that they will plan to form a vision group of experts and urban planners for planning the growth of the city, after the final announcement of Greater Mysuru.
