Members of the Mysuru Kannada Vedike protested near Karanji Lake on Thursday against the alleged construction of an unauthorised water park next to Mysuru Zoo, claiming that the project violates wildlife protection rules and threatens the biodiversity of the environmentally sensitive area.
The protesters said the water park was being built adjacent to the zoo wall and in a manner that could affect the ecosystem around Karanji Lake. They alleged that the project had been taken up without permission from the zoo authority or the Forest Department, and called for construction to be stopped immediately.
S. Balakrishna, president of the Mysuru Kannada Vedike, said Mysuru provides a safe habitat for rare wildlife and birds, including species facing the risk of extinction. He said the area around the zoo had been declared a silent zone, but was already facing disturbance from vehicle noise on the route to Chamundi Hill and the expansion of residential layouts.
According to Balakrishna, the proposed water park would add pressure to an already sensitive urban wildlife area. He said construction next to the zoo and close to Karanji Lake was inappropriate because it could harm the lake’s biodiversity and disturb animals and birds in the surrounding zone.
The organisation also questioned the silence of the district administration and the zoo authority. Protesters alleged that the authorities had failed to act despite the project allegedly being constructed without the required permissions. The report did not include a response from the district administration, the zoo authority, the Forest Department or the water park operators to these allegations.
The protestors demanded an immediate halt to the work, an investigation into those responsible for allegedly violating regulations, and relocation of the project to another site. They also called for measures to protect the wildlife and bird populations around Mysuru Zoo and Karanji Lake.
The issue highlights the pressure placed on urban ecological areas when recreational and residential development expands around them. In this case, the central dispute is not only over a water park but also over whether a designated wildlife-sensitive and silent zone is being managed in accordance with its stated protections.
The Mysuru Kannada Vedike warned that it would intensify its protest if the government did not take immediate action. The protesters included Nalabadi Ravi, Bogadi Siddegowda, Gopi, Palace Babu, LIC Siddappa, Honakere Swamy, Govindaraju, Harish, Sai Chamaraju, Kaveramma, Malini, Chennappa, Shivageowda, Manohar, Ramesh, Madappa, Sunil, Shivakumar and Mahadeva.
