Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS)

In News
The Karnataka government recently declared 8.6 acres of green cover at Cantonment Railway Colony, Bengaluru, as a Biodiversity Heritage Site (BHS) — the second in the city after Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra (GKVK).

About BHS

Definition:
Areas that are unique, ecologically fragile ecosystems rich in biodiversity and cultural value, notified under Section 37 of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
Key Features:
- High species richness (wild & domesticated).
- Endemism & presence of rare, threatened, keystone, or evolutionarily significant species.
- Wild ancestors of cultivated species.
- Fossil beds or cultural/ethical/aesthetic significance.
- Found across terrestrial, aquatic, coastal, and marine ecosystems.
Legal Framework:
- State Governments, in consultation with local bodies, notify BHS.
- No compulsory restriction on community practices — unless voluntarily
- State may compensate or rehabilitate people economically affected by such declaration.
- Objective: Conservation + improving quality of life of local communities.

Important Facts

First BHS in India (2007): Nallur Tamarind Grove, Bengaluru, Karnataka.
BHS in Bengaluru:
1. Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra (GKVK)
2. Cantonment Railway Colony (2025)