Green Minute News:
Seven to eight lakh trees are slated to be felled for development of Karnataka’s ambitious Bidadi AI Township project with 9,600 acres of rich, fertile lands marked for acquisition and diversion in Bidadi taluk, Bengaluru South (earlier known as Ramanagara) district.
It is shocking that Karnataka government claims only two lakh trees will be felled for the proposed Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township (GBIT) which is commonly known as the Bidadi AI Township.
Meanwhile, environmentalists and activists calling uon the state governement for stoppage to this elite project, have launched an online petition to “Save Bidadi, Our Land, Our Water, Our Future. In fact, more than 3975 people have signed this petition in the last three days.
So, citizens, can you help out by signing this petition:
However, an estimate done by local farmers, activists and environmentalists across the proposed diversion of 9600 acres of prime farmlands and grasslands put the figure at :
- Nearly 7-8 lakh trees on the felling list.
- Includes 4 lakh coconut trees on the felling list.
Other tree species on the felling list include three lakh tree species that include fruit and forest trees like:
- Mango, arecanut, jackfruit, pomegranate, custard apple, butter fruit, sapota and
- Teak, tamarind, neem, silver oak, sandalwood, Melia dubia (hebbevu), and Pongamia (honge).
IS THERE A NEED FOR AN ELITE AI TOWNSHIP?
For an elite AI (artificial intelligence) township to house software professionals and various other people, the two Gram Panchayats of Byramangala and Kanchugaranahalli (in Bidadi taluk) comprising 26 villages have to make way and give away their life and livelihood for diversion of 9600 acres of prime fertile lands which they have tilled since generations.
Due to the Bidadi AI Township project, nearly 3000 farmers will be directly affected but they have reiterated that they won’t give their lands for diversion and have been continuing their agitation, protests and rallies in Bidadi.
2500 FARMERS ON PROTEST FOR 450 DAYS PLUS
Nearly 2500 farmers from the two GPs have been protesting and have sat on dharna for more than 450 days. They have held padayatras, cycle rallies and held street corner meetings in and around Bidadi and also called upon leaders of various political parties. But they are a disheartened lot as most politicians have hardly shown any interest.
Most of them are small and marginal farmers – some owning just less than one acre of farmland. Revenue officials say, “The Karnataka government is providing Rs 2.07 crore per acre as also Rs 30,000-40,000 per year to each farm owner for three years as a source of livelihood. Further, the state will be giving training to farmers to make pickles and pappads as a means of livelihood.”
“WE WILL NOT PART WITH OUR FARMLANDS”
Speaking to Green Minute News, Byrappa, a farmer from Byramangala gram panchayat who owns one acre of land says, “None of us are going to part with our lands for this AI township project that will benefit only professionals and outsiders from other states. We will lose our only source of livelihood. Any amount of compensation will not solve the problem of our livelihood and if 3,000 farmers are ousted from their fertile farmlands in this manner, then who will grow food for the state and the country?”
Heated controversy and arguments have already developed between Congress and JD(S) leaders with thousands of farmers taking to the streets and agitating over the Bidadi AI Township. The controversy erupted more than a year back when the Karnataka Government pushed its proposal for acquisition of over 9,600 acres of fertile agricultural land.
FINAL NOTIFICATION FOR LAND ACQUISITION
On June 11, 2026, the Karnataka government issued the final notification to acquire land for ₹18,133 crore Greater Bengaluru Integrated Township project or the Bidadi AI township. The GBIT will span across roughly 9,600 acres of fertile farmland near Bidadi, just 40 km from Bengaluru.
Over 3,000 farmers and their families across 26 revenue villages stand to lose their lush green farm lands their families have cultivated for generations. Till date, only 10 farmers have taken compensation and given their lands to the government for the Bidadi AI Township project out of the 3000 farmers in these 26 villages.
DIRE SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Urban conservationist and tree doctor Vijay Nishanth says, “Decades of green cover and carbon sink will vanish permanently. The felling of such a massive proportion of trees will have a serious micro-climatic impact and on the hydrology of this region. With loss of groundwater recharge, the water security of the entire region will be affected which in fact, sustains the agricultural land. “
More than 90 percent of the farmers have said clearly, they do not want this project. Further, horticulture, dairy, sericulture, and allied rural workers are completely opposed to this project as they will not only lose their precious farmlands but also their source of income, Nishanth adds.
Further, this region is a biodiversity rich region as the grasslands and plantation lands are home to 2000 peacocks, our national bird as also a wide variety of birds. Situated on the outskirts of Bengaluru on the Deccan plateau, the region of Bidadi features a transitional ecosystem blending dry deciduous vegetation, agricultural farmlands, and vital wetland habitats.
It supports a rich array of native flora and fauna but has been facing increasing pressure from rapid industrialization due to its proximity to Bengaluru.Not only the ground vegetation is rich and diverse, it is a rich habitat for a variety of species ranging from Bonnet Macaques, slender loris, golden jackal, jungle cat, squirrels, wild boars, jungle fowls, hares, chameleons and snakes like cobra, viper and kraits.
WITHOUT FARMING, WHAT WILL FARMERS DO?
The list of farmers losing their farmland is too long to be listed, however, Nagesh Kumar, Girish and Hemant from Chikka Byramangala and Manjunath from Byramangala relate their saga of woes and say, “We are all marginal farmers owing between 1-3 acres of land and are absolutely not prepared to give our lands for an elite project. If the Congress Party claims to be saviours of poor farmers, then why are they taking up such a project for the rich as we and our families will lose our homes, farms and livelihood.”
They also add, “We only know how to do farming and reap good harvests every year and supply a variety of crops ranging from coconuts, ragi, mangoes, fruits and vegetables to Bengaluru. If farmers have to give away their farmlands, grasslands for fancy urban projects, a day will come when no farming will be done to feed the millions in this country.”
PRESSURE TO DISPOSE OFF 6000 COWS
Adding to this, another farmer informs, “We have about 60,000 cows in the 26 villages, now what will happen to them? The revenue officials tell us to give away our cows to butchers. The pressure is immense from the officials and the government to part with our lands but we will not do so. This project is nothing but to make money by the real estate mafia and the state govt.”
No political party is prepared to support us in our peaceful agitation but nowadays, JD(S) leader Nikhil Kumaraswamy has come forward and taken interest in our never-ending woes. Farmers inform, “We have submitted representation to the Congress govt, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy, Member of Parliament Dr C N Manjunath and other leaders but till date, there has been no action.”
BIDADI REGION ACTIVE FOOD PRODUCERS
Bengaluru South (earlier Ramanagara district) including Bidadi is known for active food production and ragi alone is grown on 231 acres of the proposed area, along with paddy and red gram that feeds the Bengaluru city. Growing a plethora of fruits, vegetables and coconuts, they are the major suppliers to Bengaluru city.
It is shocking that the state government has kept silent while farmers have been protesting peacefully for over 450 days. According to farm leaders, their demand is not anti-development – it is only for fair development. The Devanahalli farmers’ agitation has already proved the Bidadi farmlands can be saved: there, the government rescinded acquisition of 1,777 acres for an aeropark.
CALL FOR STOPPAGE TO LAND ACQUISITION
On their part, activists appeal, “We call upon the State Government and the GBDA to pause the land acquisition and withdraw the final notification until genuine, transparent public consultation is completed.”
“Let them conduct an independent Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Social Impact Survey before taking any further step. Let them protect fertile agricultural and ecologically valuable land from irreversible conversion,” they appeal.
Further, farmers, activists and environmentalists collectively call upon the Chief Minister and the Karnataka Government to relocate the project to dry, degraded, or barren land as Karnataka has plenty of such lands, instead of destroying productive & fertile farmland.
In view of lack of details on the Bidadi AI Township project, they say, the state govt needs to make all project details, land records, and assessments public. Further, there is an urgent need to include farmers, environmental experts, and local communities as equal participants in the decision.
TAKING AWAY OUR LIVELIHOOD
Farmers lament and stress, “We are not against development but not this type of development which takes away people’s life, home and livelihood. The building of a modern city does not begin by erasing the land and its people that feed it.”
According to farmers in Bidadi, this issue has never been discussed in the state legislature and not once any MLA or MLC has taken it up discussion in the Vidhana Soudha. This is the state of affairs prevailing in Karnataka where the farmers’ life and livelihood is being taken away by the state government.