Mysuru: Alleging that no scientific or geological studies were done, activists opposing multi-crore project work atop Chamundi Hills, under the Pilgrimage, Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) scheme, urged the district administration to convene a public hearing on the issue.An RTI application filed by activist Ravishankar Bale, a resident of Yadavagiri and a retired engineer, revealed that no geological stability study, geotechnical investigation, or equivalent scientific assessment was carried out on the hills in recent years.
In the application dated Jan 27, Bale sought details on whether any geological stability study or similar assessment was prepared, based on which road and other infrastructure works were undertaken over the past 10 years. He also sought information on when the last geotechnical investigation was conducted and requested a list of incidents related to landslides and road collapses over the last 20 years, along with their causes, remedial measures taken, status, and plans. In response, information officer of the PWD Mysuru Circle disposed of the application, stating that no such information was available. Meanwhile, tourism department executive engineer Purushottam claimed that such studies were not required for temporary works. Interestingly, Bale filed another RTI application with the Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation, seeking copies of the appraisal report by the work-implementing authority, pre-feasibility report, geophysical investigation report, clearances obtained from various component authorities and departments—including the gram panchayat and forest department—along with their acceptance criteria, norms mandated for the PRASHAD scheme by the sanctioning authority, and other documents forwarded to the tourism department. “The replies received clearly indicate paper-pushing tactics. The local KSTDC office which received the RTI has forwarded the request to Bengaluru, after a full 30 days. It therefore casts serious doubts in the minds of activists that the agencies concerned are implementing PRASHAD works most likely without obtaining all the prescribed clearances or conducting all mandatory scientific studies. The state govt, district administration, and PWD must provide clear answers on these lapses and explain why the scheme is being implemented in haste without necessary studies. There are ample other non-concrete projects that the funds could be utilised in designs to protect the spiritual sanctity and natural serenity of the hills” Bale said.
