Environmentalists have opposed the State government’s plan to erect a 120-ft statue of Swami Vivekananda at Muthyala Maduvu waterfall in Anekal.
Housing Minister V. Somanna announced on Saturday that Karnataka Housing Board would put up the statue on a three-acre plot near the waterfall. The Minister said the Statue of Unity — a 597-ft statue of Sardar Patel in the Narmada Valley — was the inspiration for the project.
Environmentalists, however, are unhappy with this decision. Leo Saldanha of Environment Support Group said that in a recent case, the High Court had issued a stay order on all activities in Begur lake, including proposed unveiling of the statue on the principle of public trusteeship and held that the nature of the land cannot be changed. “We will fight this proposal,” he said.
“Bannerghatta National Park is just a few kilometres away from Muthyala Maduvu. Developing a high-density tourist zone so close to it is not advisable,” he added.
