A cross-section of citizens including environmentalists and heritage experts have urged the government to conserve and promote the religious sanctity and environmental integrity of Chamundi Hills.
The citizens under the banner of Save Chamundi Hills Committee (Chamundi Betta Ulisi Samithi) said here on Thursday that the funds under the Central government’s Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) scheme should not be utilised for creating concrete structures under the guise of new amenities. They cautioned that Chamundi Hills was an environmentally sensitive area and its integrity should be conserved through promoting eco-friendly measures and demanded the constitution of Chamundi Hills Authority to regulate development works.
Addressing media persons U.N. Ravikumar, an environmentalist advocating sustainable technologies, said that Chamundi Hills was a biodiversity hotspot with 150 species of birds, nearly 500 species of plants, 105 species of butterflies and 20 species of mammals. ‘’So-called development entailing new construction was being imposed on the citizens without their consultation. We the people of Mysuru have a say in Chamundi Hills but when we speak we are dubbed as anti-development which is not true’’ , said Mr. Ravikumar.
He said as stakeholders they were keen to protect Chamundi Hills and its environment including its religious sanctity which was being threatened by commercial tourism. ‘’Both Chamundi Hills and the palace attract very high footfall and there is a limit to how much more it can be promoted’’, said Mr. Ravikumar.
N.S. Rangaraju of INTACH Mysuru said the original plan under PRASHAD scheme was prepared by a Bengaluru-based architect and the report had stated that as Chamundi Hills was both a religious and historical place its integrity should be conserved. But the government got the report tweaked and the final DPR was prepared by another contractor with emphasis on commercial tourism, said Prof. Rangaraju.
He said the place was of religious significance since the time of the Gangas extending to the Hoysalas, Vijayanagar period and then the Wadiyars. But now it was being violated with emphasis on commercial tourism..
Parashurame Gowda of Chamundi Betta Ulisi Samithi said the Central government funds should be utilised for environmental conservation of Chamundi Hills and promote it as a model religious site with focus on ecology.
The Samithi members said at a time when global warming was causing extreme weather conditions, emphasis should be on environmental conservation. They suggested implementation of eco-friendly measures like greening of Chamundi Hills, preventing encroachment of forests etc.
The Samithi said the basic principle of PRASHAD scheme was to promote tourism through sustainable development and hence the authorities should promote spiritual tourism by promoting its serenity and eschew concrete works.
It also called for limiting the population atop the hills and remove the shops that have come up and those relocated could be compensated. ‘’In short Chamundi Hills should have its own development model instead of adapting other models’’, said the Samithi members.
