Bengaluru Takes Back 120 Acres of Green Gold

 Bengaluru, June 23, 2025: 

The Karnataka Forest Department has successfully reclaimed 120 acres of encroached forest land in Kadugodi plantation, Bengaluru East taluk, as part of a significant effort to preserve urban green spaces. 

This reclaimed land, which is valued at about ₹4,000 crore, will help the city's dwindling green space. The operation, which focused on Survey Number 1 in Bidarahalli hobli, was led by Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre and executed with strict police cooperation. 

“We obtained all necessary clearances and carried out the eviction from morning till evening," a senior forest official clarified. The value of the reclaimed land is ₹4,000 crore. The action entailed displacing people who were improperly using the property for agriculture and removing unauthorized structures, like warehouses.

In 1896, the Maharaja of Mysore donated the 711 acre plantation. Approximately 450 acres became involved in legal disputes as a result of the majority of it being either encroached upon or transferred to other authorities, including the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board (KIADB). 

As part of a larger project to restore urban green corridors, the reclaimed area is now fenced and has started to transform back into forest with the planting of native tree saplings. Since May 2023, the Bengaluru Urban Forest Division has already recovered 248 acres of land, valued at over ₹8,000 crore.

"We have zero tolerance towards encroachments," Minister Khandre said, restating the government's uncompromising position. We need to secure more green spaces because Bengaluru's pollution is getting worse. Concerning reports that Bengaluru has lost more than 1,200 acres of green space in recent decades make this operation even more crucial. 

The city's once vast lung space, which was once as high as 68 percent vegetative cover, has been eroded by concrete expansion and unauthorized construction, experts warn, and is now only 2-3 percent.

In addition to this anti encroachment surge, new green zones are being funded by civic authorities. As part of a campaign to combat the decades long stagnation of urban forestry since the creation of Cubbon Park and Lalbagh, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has promised support for "mega tree parks," including a 153 acre project in Madappanahalli near Yelahanka. 

The developments have been praised by environmentalists, who caution that additional urbanization without green buffers will worsen pollution and heat while endangering ecological balance. The urgency is emphasized by user comments on community forums: "Sad, but not surprising…the concrete jungle continues to swallow what is left."

Bengaluru makes progress in regaining its reputation as the "Garden City" with this successful recovery. The Forest Department has indicated that additional efforts are being made to preserve and increase the amount of green space throughout the city.