Nature Vs Real Estate: Bengaluru forest’s 11 year battle captured on Google Earth
Bengaluru
BLR.POST has tracked land-use changes in the Kadugodi forest area using Google Earth time-lapse imagery from 2014 to 2025. The footage reveals how trees have repeatedly vanished, only to regrow—testament to nature’s resilience. But in 2025, yet again, large swathes near ICD Whitefield appear stripped of greenery. The issue was first flagged by Sandeep Anirudhan of Citizens Agenda for Bengaluru, who raised concerns over the disappearing tree cover.
The Kadugodi Reserve Forest near Whitefield—an area now witnessing some of the fastest real estate growth in Bengaluru—continues to fight for its survival. Once spanning 711 acres, this forest was officially declared a reserve in 1896. However, in official records today, only 177 acres remain intact.
In a recent operation, the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) managed to reclaim 120 acres from encroachers, marking a rare victory against encroachment by real estate interests. Ironically, 22.5 acres from the original reserve have also been converted into the Kadugodi Tree Park. The action comes after the Supreme Court in May directed all the States and Union Territories to hand over the forest land in May 2025.
Complicating the situation further, 21 private individuals now claim ownership over 64 acres, asserting that the state government granted them this land. The KFD disputes this, maintaining that the state lacks the authority to allocate forest land and that this disputed portion also falls under its jurisdiction.
Also read: (Whitefield woes: Just 3 km, nearly 250 illegal buildings)
The forest land has become the focal point of a prolonged tug-of-war involving several powerful entities, including the Forest Department, Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB), Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), and private developers. Although the Karnataka High Court previously ruled that the land belongs to the state, it failed to clarify departmental jurisdiction—leaving a legal vacuum that fuels further conflict.