Citizens and conservationists want to preserve the land surrounding the GTS tower.
Story so far: On Sunday, Bengaluru residents staged a protest against the demolition of a rock formation adjoining the 220-year-old Great Trigonometrical Survey (GTS) Tower near Jakkur. They demanded the Bangalore Development Authority’s (BDA) immediate intervention.
- In May 2022, the BDA allocated 2.75 acres of land near the GTS tower, comprising rock formations, a lake, and a reserved pasture, to Siddheshwara Education Trust for 30 years.
- According to residents, the BDA ignored allotment norms and the land’s historical, geological, and scientific significance. The critics have attempted to file a complaint several times but couldn’t reach the BDA higher-ups.
Why this matters? The site allotted to the education trust adjoins a historically significant scientific endeavour. In 1800, Lt Col William Lambton used the tower as the centre point of a 137-year-long land survey. Besides allowing the surveyors to map the subcontinent, the tower also helped clear misconceptions about the earth’s shape.