A resort near the Bandipur tiger reserve is courting controversy with environmentalists alleging that it is being run illegally in a critical elephant corridor despite the land conversion order being cancelled by the Deputy Commissioner of Chamrajanagar six months ago.
Though the land was converted for personal residential purposes, a resort by name ‘Ashwini Ayurveda Residency’ (AAJR Inn) is being run on commercial basis on this land, environmentalists have alleged.
“On September 19, 2009 the property owners have given an affidavit to the Deputy Commissioner that if the land conversion conditions were violated, the government is free to demolish the illegal buildings on the land. Subsequently, the Deputy Conservator of Forests, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, Mr Hanumanthappa, wrote to the Chamrajanagar DC based on which the Deputy Commissioner had withdrawn the land conversion order on August 26, 2011,” said Harish N.S., a wildlife conservationist.
It is over six months since the land conversion was cancelled by the DC, but till date, the illegal buildings (nearly 30 cottages and other buildings) of the resort have not been demolished. The owners continue to carry out commercial activities on the property with a new name, ‘Ashwini Ayurveda Residency’.
“This resort is in a crucial corridor for elephants and other large mammals between Bandipur and Mudumalai tiger reserves and obstructs the movement of wildlife. The area has also been recently declared as eco-sensitive zone and it is illegal to have a resort here according to Environment Protection Act 1986. More importantly, there is a waterhole right next to the resort and wildlife do not have any water resources for several kilometres and the resort blocks the utilisation of water for wildlife,” Mr Harish informed.