The Karnataka High Court has set aside a January 2025 single‑judge order and quashed the acquisition of 1,938 acres earmarked for the Karnataka Housing Board’s Suryanagar fourth‑phase residential layout. The Division Bench, comprising Justices D.K. Singh and H. Shanthi Bhushan, ruled that the land lies within the proposed eco‑sensitive zone (ESZ) of Bannerghatta National Park and abuts an established elephant corridor, making the project environmentally untenable.
The bench noted that the earlier judgment had permitted acquisition only if the KHB secured clearances from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). It observed that the acquisition proceeded without a scientific environmental impact assessment, socio‑ecological study, or the mandatory approvals of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife. Instead, the KHB obtained a Wildlife Impact Mitigation Plan from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests after paying a fee of ₹1.5 crore, which the court deemed insufficient.
The court highlighted that the MoEFCC’s 2016 draft notification proposed a 268.96 sq km ESZ around Bannerghatta, later reduced to 168.84 sq km in a 2020 final notification. The reduction, contested before the Supreme Court, was criticized by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) for excluding scientifically identified elephant corridors and critical habitat patches. The CEC’s January 2026 report urged restoration of the original ESZ to protect the Karadikkal‑Madeshwara corridor and mitigate rising human‑wildlife conflict.
By overturning the acquisition, the High Court emphasized that housing development must not come at the expense of wildlife habitats. The decision underscores the judiciary’s role in enforcing environmental safeguards and balancing development with ecological preservation.
