Mr. B. N. Jha, IFS
Chief Conservator of Forests
Ministry of Environment and Forests
Regional Cell - South
Kendriya Sadan
Bangalore 560034

17 May 2005

Reg.: Diversion of 4.05 ha. of forest land in Handigundi Reserve Forest, Gopalapura Village of Ramanagara Taluk, Bangalore Rural District for carving a statue of Sanghamitra Bhuddha on the rock

Dear Mr. Jha,

The Principal Secretary, Forest, Environment and Ecology Department, Government of Karnataka, vide its letter dated 01 January 2004 (NO. FEE 60 FGL 2002) forwarded to you a file proposing the diversion of 4.05 ha of forest land in Handigundi Reserve Forest, Gopalapura Village of Ramanagara Taluk, Bangalore Rural District for carving a statue of Sanghamitra Bhuddha on the rock.

During April 2005, Mr. Shah Rukh Khan and various other artistes, presented a cultural programme raising tens of crores of rupees in aid of this project, promoted by Sanghamitra Foundation (more details at: http://www.sanghamitrabuddha.com/).

It appears that this project has been promoted as merely the excavation of one rock, that of 1000 feet height, known as Handi Gondi rock. However, a perusal of the website of the Foundation reveals that the project is a commercial proposition spread over 2000 acres of land and involves excavation of tens of more rock faces, involving mining techniques and displacement of at least two villages.

Recent Press Reports and statement of the Karnataka Minister for Forests confirm that the project has been cleared by you. This is troubling, as it raises the following questions:

1) Was a site inspection at all conducted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests prior to according clearance for the project?
2) Was a study of the flora and fauna of this region at all conducted, considering that this particular hillock is a well known nesting site for White Backed Vulture and is also a habitat for the threatened Yellow Throated Bulbul, in particular. In addition it is an excellent landscape for a variety of other rare flora and fauna.
3) Was the opinion of the National Geological Research Institute or that of the Karnataka Department of Mines and Geology, sought to confirm the geological uniqueness of this rocky landscape? This considering that these rock formations date back to 3 billion years, making them amongst the oldest rocks on the planet.
4) Was it ever investigated that this project is not to come up merely on 4 ha of land, as proposed, but could in fact take over the entire Handigundi Reserve Forest, running into hundreds of acres?

These factors assume enormous significance with regard to compliance with various laws, conventions and judgments, and the responsibility vested in your office in upholding the same. Considering that it is confirmed by the Sangamitra Foundation that the project is on 2000 acres of land, it follows that the aforementioned proposal amounts to fraud and misrepresentation.

Keeping this in view, we wish to enquire if the aforementioned concerns were at all addressed by you when clearing the proposal as reported. If the facts brought before the government were false, you are urged to withdraw this order, until a through review is conducted per law.

Yours sincerely,

Leo F. Saldanha
Coordinator
Environment Support Group Naveein O. C
Foundation for Nature Exploration and Environmental Conservation

Cc.:

Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Government of India
Minister of Forests, Government of Karnataka
Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests
Inspector General of Forests, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India
Principal Secretary, Dept. of Forests, Ecology and Environment, Govt of Karnataka
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Karnataka State Forest Department
Director, Dept. of Mines and Geology, Govt of Karnataka
Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bangalore Rural, Karnataka State Forest Department
Chairperson, Sanghamitra Foundation, Bangalore
Mr. Shah Rukh Khan, Film Artiste