Karnataka HC Quashes Land Acquisition for Suryanagar 4th Phase Layout in Anekal

The High Court of Karnataka has quashed the acquisition of 1,938 acres of land for the Karnataka Housing Board's (KHB) Suryanagar 4th phase residential layout project across five villages in Anekal taluk. A Division Bench comprising Justice D.K. Singh and Justice H. Shanthi Bhushan passed the order on August 29, holding that the land falls within areas proposed as an eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) for the Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) and abuts critical elephant corridors.

The ruling set aside a single judge's January 2025 verdict that had previously permitted the acquisition of agricultural land under the condition that the KHB secure necessary clearances from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

The acquisition proceedings were originally initiated by the KHB in 2013 across the villages of Konasandra, Bommandahalli, Kadujakkanahalli, Indlavadi, and Bagganadoddi in Anekal taluk. The project was conceived to develop housing plots, but landowners challenged the move in court, arguing that the acquisition breached environmental protection norms.

The Bench observed that the entire project was misconceived and warned of irreversible consequences for the local ecology and wildlife. The judges noted that housing is not the sole requirement for human existence, emphasising that forests, ecology, and water streams are equally critical. The court ruled that the land acquisition was carried out without essential scientific studies, including environment impact assessments and socio-ecological evaluations.

The court also highlighted findings from the Supreme Court's Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which submitted a report in January 2026 recommending that the ESZ around BNP be restored to 268.96 square kilometres, as originally drafted in 2016, rather than the reduced 168.84 square kilometres notified in 2020. The CEC warned that the Suryanagar project would severely impact the Karadikkal-Madeshwara elephant corridor and heighten human-wildlife conflict.

Additionally, the Bench pointed out that the KHB failed to obtain mandatory clearances from the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife, having only procured a Wildlife Impact Mitigation Plan from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests after paying a fee of ₹1.5 crore. The court ruled that elephant corridors cannot be compromised to build residential layouts at the cost of displacing wildlife from their natural habitat.