Mysuru: The land survey of the premises of the over-a-century-old Vontikoppal Government High School began yesterday.

The survey follows a series of reports in Star of Mysore and its sister publication Mysuru Mithra, which highlighted concerns that South Western Railway’s (SWR) proposed construction of a multi-storey residential complex, an indoor stadium and an auditorium could adversely affect the school.

The Department of School Education had petitioned the Tahsildar to protect the school property under the provisions of the Karnataka Government Educational Institutions’ Lands (Protection and Regularisation) Act, 2026.

Subsequently, the Tahsildar directed the Department of Land Records to conduct a survey and prepare a map of the premises. The survey was launched under the supervision of the Assistant Director of Land Records (ADLR), Mysuru City, M.D. Chikkanna.

Department Superintendent Chandrashekar, Taluk Surveyors Venkatesh, Dhananjay and Abhishek, along with two other staff members, participated in the survey.

Speaking to Star of Mysore, Chikkanna said the survey to demarcate the boundaries of Vontikoppal Government High School and Yadavagiri Higher Primary School had commenced. A detailed report, along with the survey map, will be submitted to the Tahsildar, he added.

Vacant land divided

Meanwhile, a teacher said that both Vontikoppal Government High School and Yadavagiri Higher Primary School functioned on the sprawling campus until 2007, when the Railways divided the vacant land into three portions for its own use.

The Railways subsequently constructed a residential complex opposite Sri Ramakrishna Vidyashala in Yadavagiri and a Kalyana Mantap adjacent to the road connecting Sri Lakshmi Venkataramanaswamy Temple and the Vidyashala, leaving the schools with only a smaller portion of the land in the middle.

Another staff member alleged that the Railway Department has now surrounded the school premises. “Even the little space left for the school in the middle was used to construct residential quarters,” the staff member said.