Jungle Book: Don't step on this grass

Home to several migratory birds and many species of reptiles, the  Hessarghatta grasslands, some  25 km from Bengaluru, drew nature lovers in droves until the authorities intervened and shut its gates in their face a year ago. To their dismay it hasn’t opened them since, depriving Bengalureans of yet another getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Spread over 345 acres, the grasslands have more than one entry point and over time they were used by those looking to do more than enjoy its serene beauty.
Visitors to it recall there was much beer drinking and drunken behaviour among groups of youngsters in its grounds and couples often used its dense bushes for intimacy,  drawing the wrath of the authorities.    

A theatre artiste, Nithin Kumar,  who was once a  frequent visitor to the grasslands, describes them as one of a kind. “We shot many short movies here, taking care not to damage its environment. But now we are not allowed to enter it for reasons best known to the government,” he lamented.

While agreeing that the grasslands had  turned into a hub of illegal activity and hooligans often came armed with dozens of beer bottles and proceeded to get drunk, he says this could have been controlled with some effective policing. "If there were troublemakers, there were also people like us who visited the place simply to enjoy its beautiful surroundings.

Had the officials wanted, they could have controlled the illegal activities by posting policemen here and kept the grasslands open for the public," he contended. Mr Shankar, a resident of Dasenahalli, located close to the grasslands, suggests the government hand  over their management to a private agency if it cannot do the job itself. " The agency could set things in order and then visitors could be issued entry tickets to gain access to the grasslands," he said.

Yet another disappointed  nature lover,  Gajendra, says he often visited the grasslands to enjoy the sight of the many migratory birds and animals it supports. "We are missing all this, now that it is closed," he added sadly.
Noted environmentalist, A N Yellappa Reddy, believes adequate measures must be taken to protect the grasslands as they are home to a variety of wildlife,  birds, grazing animals, insects and reptiles.

"They are one of the few surviving grasslands with few or no trees. The whole expanse can be divided into several blocks and a certain area reserved for human movement, to allow visitors to enjoy the sights it has to offer,"he suggested.