33% green cover mandatory to safeguard Mysore Silk’s GI tag, says technical report
Mysore/Mysuru: A technical report submitted to the State Government by the General Manager of the Karnataka Silk Industries Corporation (KSIC) Filature Factory at T. Narasipur and the Managing Director of KSIC has stated that the entire 13.11 acres of factory land is essential for silk production and that construction of a stadium within the premises would seriously jeopardise operations.
Of the total extent, 5.08 acres have been handed over to the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES) for the proposed taluk stadium. The report, dated Dec. 24, 2025, cautioned against alienating the land. However, after taking possession, DYES laid boundary stones for the stadium on Feb. 20.
According to the report, the Filature unit requires the full extent of land for its core activities, including transportation of 150 to 200 metric tonnes of coal from Andhra Pradesh, pumping of water and handling consignments of two to three tonnes of silk cocoons sourced from places including Ramanagara, Kollegala and Shidlaghatta.
No space for coal yard
The report noted that the boundary demarcation has already disrupted logistics, as coal-laden vehicles can no longer access the half-acre coal yard near the boiler section, as the DYES has marked the stadium boundaries. The factory operates 5-tonne-per-hour and 2-tonne-per-hour boilers that together consume 4.5 to 5 tonnes of coal daily.
Land transferred for the stadium includes the coal yard, a half-acre cinder ash dumping yard, employee parking space and a guest house that has to be demolished if the stadium is constructed.
Brass pipeline to be cut
The report further pointed out that when the Wadiyars established the Filature Factory, an underground brass pipeline was laid to draw flowing water from the Kapila river, located about 1.5 km away. Brass was chosen to prevent rusting as iron pipelines could lead to corrosion and adversely affect the quality of silk yarn.
An uninterrupted water supply is vital for maintaining yarn quality and ensuring smooth functioning of machinery, the report said, expressing concern that stadium construction would cut the pipeline, a critical infrastructure.
It also highlighted KSIC’s plans to install additional automatic reeling machines and a new 5-tonne-per-hour boiler to process an additional 2,000 kg of cocoons.
GI tag under threat
As mandated by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), the factory requires nearly one acre to establish an Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) for recycling used water, in addition to maintaining a compulsory green zone covering 33 percent of the total area to retain its prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) certification. The green cover also helps absorb heat generated by the cocoon boilers.
Without these facilities, the report warned, both the factory’s operations and its GI certification could be at risk. Failure to maintain the stipulated green zone may even result in the loss of the coveted GI tag for Mysore Silk, it cautioned.
This post was published on March 4, 2026 6:41 pm