Mangaluru: MLC Dr. Manjunath Bhandari has appealed to the Chairman of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), Narendra swamy to release pending funds for the Urban Eco Park project at Pilikula, Mangaluru, a flagship initiative aimed at environmental conservation, education, and sustainable tourism.

The Pilikula Development Authority, formerly the Dr. Shivarama Karanth Pilikula Nisargadhama, spans 356 acres and has been promoting Western Ghats biodiversity, wildlife protection, cultural preservation, and environmental awareness among students and teachers since 1996. It was reorganised as the Pilikula Development Authority in 2018.

Under KSPCB directives to establish environmental gardens across Karnataka, 10 acres at Pilikula were allocated for the Urban Eco Park to raise awareness among citizens, students, and women’s groups about environmental protection and industrial pollution control. The first-phase development, costing ₹5 crore, has been completed, including the lifestyle park, entrance plaza, water tank, compound walls with live hedge fencing, and an industrial model area.

Due to delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, second- and third-phase works were postponed. A detailed expansion plan costing ₹17.6 crore, including lifestyle exhibits, pollution control models, and climate awareness installations, was approved by the 205th KSPCB meeting, with a total of ₹13 crore to be released in four phases.

Dr. Bhandari emphasised that releasing the pending funds will allow the Urban Eco Park to become fully operational, attracting visitors and providing hands-on education on environmental conservation, pollution control, and sustainable industrial practices for the public and students of Dakshina Kannada.