Chamundi Hills
Chamundi Hill is located in Mysore, Karnataka. The famous Chamundeswari Temple is located in the hills.
About the Hills
The Hindus believe that Goddess Chamundi sits on the top of the hills. According to them, the goddess slayed the demon Mahishasura here. The place was ruled by Mahisha. And thus, it was named Mahisooru, that is, Palace of Mahisha. The Britishers changed its name to Mysore. The temple is one of the Shakti Peetha. The hill is one of the major tourist attraction of Karnataka.
Association of Indian Yogis with the hills
The Indian Yogi Sadhguru says that he obtained spiritual enlightenment in the hills. Sadhguru established the Isha Yoga Centre in Coimbatore. He is frequently in news for constructing the ashram in an elephant corridor.
Lakes and Zoos in the region
The Karanji lake is the most popular lake in Chamundi Hills. The lake is owned by the Mysore Zoo. The Zoo collects an average revenue of Rs 50,000 per day. The lake is famous for migratory birds such as Herons and Egrets.
What are the recent issues in Chamnudi Hills?
The landslides in Chamundi Hills are increasing lately. There were four landslides in the Hills since 2019. According to the environmentalists, these landslides are because of indiscriminate construction on the top of the hills.
Why landslides increased in Chamundi hills lately?
The seasonal water that usually flows down to the rivers are diverted to construct large buildings. And, the excavations done to build big buildings are loosening the subterranean soil. This creates deep chasms (fissure) underground. The rainwater enters these chasms during monsoon. It then percolates through the opening and results in landslides.
Solution
The only solution to fix the problem of landslides in Chamundi Hills is to stop the construction activities in the hills. Also, the restoration work on damaged areas must wait till the region stabilises itself. The motorable roads should be delinked after a certain elevation. The rest of the road should be declared as trekking path.
