Plans for expanding a temple close to the BRT Tiger Reserve boundary and construction of a road to carry construction materials have irked the conservation activists, who fear habitat disturbance would lead to escalation in man-animal conflict.
The temple is atop the Siddeshwara Betta, near Hondarabalu, a village in Kollegal taluk of Chamarajanagar district, and about 20 m from the tiger reserve boundary.
Arguing that road construction so close to the tiger reserve was fraught with danger, the activists feared the use of explosives during construction of the road as it would devastate the wildlife habitat.
At present, the only access to the temple atop the hill was the steps leading to it, and it attracted a very small crowd. However, the local committee has decided to expand and renovate the temple, apart from planning a community hall to accommodate about 1,000 people.
Community hall
A part of the approach road planned is within the boundaries of the BRT Tiger Reserve, which is home to charismatic species like tigers and elephants, said the activists.
‘’Construction of road, community hall and creation of parking space for vehicles would cause immense disturbance and it would only increase the human-wildlife conflict in the surrounding region,’ a wildlife activist from the region, said.
A community hall for a small population of three hundred could be accommodated in the revenue land in the village but there was no need to construct a road to the hillock or expand the temple, he said.
The landscape atop the hill has no plain surface for vehicle parking or community hall.
Blasting of hill
The hillock is a rocky terrain and if the project was not dropped, then blasting the hill was the only way forward even to construct the road. It would pose a threat to the ancient temple as also wildlife, fear the activists.
Tiger population in BRT has increased over the years, but so too the human-wildlife conflict.
Last year, wild elephants were seen drinking water from the pond adjoining the temple and activists fear that blasting and other construction activities would not only disturb wildlife but also destroy the tranquility and degrade the habitat.
