Members of Jan Sangram Parishat (JSP), Sri Parvati and Sri Kumaraswamy Temple Protection Committee and other organisations, have urged a team of experts, headed by N. Manjula, Commissioner, Karnataka State Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, to recommend to the State government to impose a ban on mining around the ancient Sri Parvathi and Sri Kumaraswamy temples, atop Kumaraswamy hill in Sandur.
A ban such as this will not only protect the temples but also go a long way in protecting the environment and ecology of the area.
Team visit
In a memorandum submitted to the team during its visit to the temples on Tuesday, the members said that the two temples were 1,200 years old and are Centrally-protected monuments of national importance. These temples and the environment of Kumaraswamy hill were under threat of intense mining activities.
The visit of the team was in the wake of directions of the Supreme Court to examine the impact of mining on the monuments declared protected under the 1958 Act and to take necessary remedial measures as was done for the Jambunatha temple, in Hosapete, of the district.
Irrevocable impact
They also underlined the need for urgent steps to conserve the environment of Kumaraswamy hill which has a lot of cultural and religious value in the community for 1,200 years. Mining activities have already had an irrevocable impact on the biodiversity of the hills, they reiterated.
Supreme Court judgment
They have also quoted the Supreme Court judgment dated July 1, 2013, in the Civil Appeal No. 4823/2013 arising out of SLP(C) No. 20180/2010, which said, “the protection and preservation of the ancient monuments has to be necessarily kept in mind while carrying out developmental activities.
The need for ensuring protection and preservation of ancient monuments for the benefit of future generations has to be balanced with the benefits which may accrue from mining and other development related activities”.
Shivakumar Malagi, State Organising Secretary, T.M. Shivakumar and Srishail Aldahalli, office bearers, were among those present.
