A city-based advocate Umapathi S. has filed a complaint with the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden, State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and the Additional Director General of Forests (Wildlife) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), opposing the construction of a new international cricket stadium at Suryanagar 4th Phase in Anekal taluk, on the southeastern outskirts of Bengaluru.

“In the larger public interest to urgently bring to the attention of the wildlife and environmental authorities a serious and ongoing environmental violation by the Karnataka Housing Board- the substitution, without any fresh Environmental Clearance or Wildlife Assessment, of a quiet residential township for an 80,000-seater International Cricket Stadium located just 1,012 metres from the Bannerghatta National Park,” the complaint stated.

He pointed out various violations and to stop the work order to the Karnataka Housing Board (KHB) restraining all activities and to revoke the the Wildlife NOC issued to the KHB for the residential township- as the KHB has misrepresented the project purpose and the NOC does not extend, either in law or in fact, to a commercial cricket stadium.

He also called for the KHB to apply for a fresh Wildlife Impact Assessment and Forest Department NOC specifically for an 80,000-seater cricket stadium at 1,012-1,407 metres from the BNP, including assessment of acoustic, lighting, vehicular and habitat impacts.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah will be laying the foundation stone for the stadium on May 23.