Cubbon Park.
Credit: DH Photo
The Forest Department plans to transform 153 acres of reclaimed land near the Yelahanka RTO into a new green space named after renowned environmentalist Salumarada Thimmakka.
The announcement was made by Forest, Ecology, and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre during the Wildlife Week closing ceremony at Aranya Bhavan on Monday.
Originally leased to the Karnataka Forest Development Corporation (KFDC), the land will be developed into a park modelled after Cubbon Park, with funding support through corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Khandre noted that the Yelahanka area has seen rapid development, making the proposed Salumarada Thimmakka Garden a valuable lung space for the community. He said Bengaluru's green cover has decreased by 5 sqkm over the past decade, now comprising 89 sqkm, or about 6.81per cent of the city's area, according to the Forest Survey of India.
Khandre stressed the need to restore Bengaluru’s status as the 'Garden City' by promoting more afforestation efforts in the coming years.