Forest Department to assess heritage status for Bangalore University's Jnanabharati Campus

The Forest Department is initiating a study to assess the feasibility of designating the Jnanabharati campus of Bangalore University as a heritage site, amid growing concerns over its ecological preservation.

The move follows a series of development proposals targeting the campus. The Higher Education Department and BBMP have identified the site for multiple projects, including a 250-meter skydeck and the establishment of Visvesvaraya Engineering College University (UVCE). Around 50 acres in the campus’s Bio Park Part-8 were initially earmarked for UVCE, but state officials later expressed the need for 200 to 300 acres.

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In parallel, the BBMP proposed acquiring 25 acres of the campus for the skydeck, with an estimated project cost of ₹500 crore. These plans sparked widespread opposition from environmental groups, walkers' associations, and civic organizations, who appealed to the Governor and Forest Minister to protect the area’s biodiversity.

Responding to these concerns, Forest Minister Eshwar B Khandre directed officials to explore heritage status under the Biodiversity Act, 2002. A proposal has been requested to safeguard the campus, which is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, including lakhs of mature trees, medicinal plants, birds, butterflies, and water bodies.

The Forest Department is now preparing a detailed ecological survey that will evaluate carbon absorption, oxygen release, and species diversity to support the heritage designation initiative and ensure long-term conservation of this green urban ecosystem.