With the aim to increase green cover and open spaces for Bengaluru, the Karnataka government has planned the development of a 184-acre park near Yelahanka.
The Revenue Minister, R Ashoka, on Thursday (23 March) signed off on a file to create what he said would be “the second Cubbon Park”, reports Deccan Herald.
The proposed green cover imagined in the lines of the Cubbon Park will come up on land spread across the villages of Bettahalasur, Sondappanahalli and Kadiganahalli, outside the city’s municipal limits.
The minister stated, “I have signed the file handing over this land to the horticulture department. The park will be named after Bengaluru founder Kempegowda.”
The proposal for the new park includes an amphitheatre, lake and other facilities.
The minister added, “Cubbon Park has a history of 240 years. No government was successful in creating another park like that. For the last one year, we were discussing this plan. After a search, we identified this land which is 10 km from the airport and close to Kempegowda’s birthplace Avati and Yelahanka.”
Cubbon Park is a notable green space spread over an area of 300 acres in the city of Begaluru — and is sometimes also referred to as a landmark ‘lung’ area of the city with its rich green foliage.
It makes up as the green belt of the city and is home to more than 6,000 trees that support a vibrant ecosystem. At present, the park is under the control of the Department of Horticulture.
Horticulture Minister Munirathna Naidu said the new park is located along the Doddaballapur-Hindupur Highway and will be developed under his department.
As per the DH report, “companies from Malaysia and Singapore have done presentations proposing development. But we don’t want the public-private partnership (PPP) as there might be legal complications,” the minister added, citing the example of the NICE project.
Furthermore, adding to the efforts for increasing green cover in the city area, the government is already developing a multi-purpose Atal Bihari Vajpayee Park on 320 acres of land.
The land is located at Jarakabande in Yelahanka and Rs 100 crore has been earmarked for its development.
The proposed park is to be developed with the coordination of the Forest Department and will be based on the model of Lalbagh and Cubbon Park in the city.