Meera Bhardwaj:
The Karnataka government’s highly ambitious project to build an “International Cricket Stadium” at KHB Surya Nagar, Phase-IV, Anekal taluk, Bengaluru Urban district has drawn the ire of farmers, activists and environmentalists. They collectively say this area falls within the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of the Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) and will affect the ecosystem of the Protected Area.
The affected villages by the township and stadium projects are – Kadajakkanahalli, Indlavadi, Bagganadoddi, Konasandra and Bommandahalli.
The Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) has already completed the 2998 acres acquisition process for building the Surya Nagar township as also acquired 80 acres for building the cricket stadium at Indlavadi village.
Farmers of Anekal taluk and the Karnataka Rashtriya Samithi (KRS) leaders further allege that the entire ESZ around the Bannerghatta National Park has been turned into a “Land Bank” by both the ruling Congress Party and opposition parties of Karnataka.
And that’s the reason why the 2020 ESZ notification for BNP was approved by the State Cabinet. The entire 2,998-acre Surya Nagar township was falling within the Bannerghatta NP’s ESZ as proposed in 2016 draft notification, which mandated a buffer zone up to 4.5 kms.
CRICKET STADIUM
The proposed International Cricket Stadium will be located at Indlavadi village in Karnataka Housing Board’s (KHB) Surya Nagar or Surya City, Phase-IV. The “Goodli Pooje or Bhoomi Pooja” ceremony is slated for May 23, 2026 sans any approvals or permissions, say Anekal farmers.
The Anekal Cricket Stadium is expected to house 80,000 spectators and will be the second largest stadium in the country. It is being built at a cost of Rs 943.46 crore. According to KHB officials, tenders have been floated already and the stadium forms part of a broader plan to develop a 75-acre multi-sport complex, with the cricket facility being taken up in the first phase.
BANNERGHATTA ESZ IN COURT
Even as the case of BNP’s ESZ and other farmers’ petitions are pending in the Supreme Court and High Court, the Karnataka Government has gone ahead with the International Cricket Stadium project @ Surya Nagar, Phase-IV, Anekal which will be just 1.5 kms from the boundary of the Bannerghatta National Park, farmers allege.
Leading the movement, the Karnataka Rashtriya Samithi has called for scrapping of the International Cricket Stadium project as they say it falls within the ESZ of the Bannerghatta National Park & impacting the habitat and wildlife. Further, the project will destroy the Elephant Corridor area that traverses the national park as also affecting the poor and marginal farmers of Anekal taluk.
FAKE LAND DOCUMENTS CREATED
Speaking to the media, KRS leader Jeevan L alleged, “This is nothing but large-scale commercial exploitation of lands belonging to farmers. The real estate mafia is involved in diversion of forests and farmlands. Why do they need a stadium here when Bengaluru already has one? And, further, fake land documents have been created in connivance with the revenue department.”
He adds, “Ancestral landowners have been ruthlessly removed from their farmlands for urbanization while creation of commercial wealth in Anekal taluk by Bengaluru politicians (who are illegally acquiring land) has been going on unabated.”
ELEPHANT CORRIDOR/SIGHTINGS
Anekal’s proximity to the Bannerghatta National Park and the Hosur/Krishnagiri forest ranges makes elephant sightings a common occurrence and farmers report frequent sightings and movement of jumbos in villages like Kaadujakkanhalli, etc. Further, Anekal falls in a historically sensitive migratory zone connecting Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.
With elephant populations rising and forests being diverted or degraded, jumbo herds frequently stray into revenue enclosures in the Anekal Range. And the Surya Nagar township project has already affected the elephant movement while the stadium project will result in chaos and confusion for the elephants.
SCRAP THE STADIUM PROJECT
Speaking to Green Minute News, Somshekar, farmer and KRS leader said, “The stadium project should be dropped as it will considerably affect the ecosystem of the Bannerghatta National Park and its three wildlife corridors. The stadium will commercialize the wildlife corridors with huge crowds and development of facilities. This project is only meant for the elite citizens of Bengaluru and not for poor and marginal farmers who have now become landless and unemployed. They have no skills or training to get any other form of employment either in Anekal or Bengaluru.”
Somshekar who hails from Kadajakanahalli (the village name itself indicates it is a complete forest village) is highly disturbed about the ongoing urbanization and commercialization of his village and the other villages in Anekal taluk. “This government talks about farmers’ welfare but they are taking away their livelihood. Nearly 3000 farmers in this taluk who own just 1-2 acres of land are marginal and poor. Even the 1500 acres of grasslands in this taluk was not given to farmers after they lost their farmlands. And the KBH’s claims of building houses for the poor is all rubbish.”
STADIUM PROJECT TAKES OFF
Both the KHB Surya Nagar, Phase-IV and Anekal Cricket Stadium project have taken off without any approvals, allege farmer leaders.
They further add, “2998 acres have been acquired comprising both forest and grasslands. Forest maps have been illegally altered and declared as revenue lands. As per notification on 11 April, 1914, the erstwhile Mysore Ruler had declared this area as “State Forest” which comprised seven villages in Kankanahalli taluk, Maralvadi hobli in Bengaluru district.”
Lamenting on their plight, the KRS leaders inform, “It has already sounded the death knell for wildlife, forest habitat, poisoning of wetlands, felling of thousands of trees, grasslands destroyed, etc.”
Under the guise of development, many villagers have already lost thousands of acres for Surya Nagar Township Project. Farmers add, “The KHB made false promises of building houses for the poor, relocation of mature trees and plantation of saplings but till date, not a single sapling has been planted nor a single tree relocated. In fact, thousands of trees were felled in Anekal taluk without any approvals.”
AFFECTING BANNERGHATTA ECOSYSTEM
Both the cricket stadium and IIM-B projects fall within four villages which are within the ambit of Bannerghatta National Park’s ESZ, however, KHB continues with its projects despite the apex court’s ruling on ESZ. There is no relocation nor rehabilitation even after so many years in the aftermath of acquisition, says Vishnu Narayan, Bannerghatta Nature Conservation Trust.
He adds, “The stadium project should be dropped as it will considerably affect the ecosystem of the Bannerghatta National Park and its wildlife corridors. The Karnataka Forest Department is sleeping as they have done nothing to protect the ESZ of BNP.”
SUPREME COURT DIRECTIONS ON BANNERGHATTA ESZ
It may be recalled that the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee (CEC) in January 2026 had recommended scrapping the 2020 ESZ final notification and restoration of 2016 draft notification for the Bannerghatta National Park ESZ by July 2026.
- The 2016 draft notification had recommended an ESZ area of 268.96 sq kms with an extent varying from 100 metres to 4.5 kms.
- While the 2020 final notification had considerably reduced the ESZ area to 168 sq kms and extent varying from 100 metres to one km, excluded all wildlife corridors which was to facilitate the political lobby and the real estate mafia to go ahead with commercial construction activity in Anekal taluk.
- The exercise of re-notifying the ESZ of BNP has to be completed by July 2026, the CEC report clearly states.
- The draft ESZ of 2016 covers 77 villages and 17 hamlets (enclosures), prohibiting commercial activities, stone quarrying, mining and regulating building of new resorts, hotels, etc.
- Shockingly, the CEC Report states that the KHB Suriya City Project falls within the ambit of 2016 draft ESZ notification with many farmers filing petitions in various courts.
- The 2016 draft also strictly prohibits highly damaging commercial activities to maintain ecological continuity with the neighbouring Mysore Elephant Reserve.
In the backdrop of continuing protests and opposition from farmers over urbanization and acquisition of farm lands and the various petitions filed by farmers and activists in various courts, it remains to be seen whether the Siddaramaiah-led government will remain silent or listen to the demands of the farmers and not fall prey to greed.