Basavangudi residents speak up for their trees; BCC says it’s helpless

Basavangudi residents speak up for their trees; BCC says it’s helpless
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: Residents of Vani Vilas Road in Basavangudi again woke up on Thursday morning to the sight of trees being chopped.

The Bangalore City Corporation which began felling trees on the road last week had suspended work for a few days.

But with seven trees between DVG Road and Ranga Rao Road marked for cutting on Thursday morning, it was time again for them to speak out against the exercise.

BCC staffers carrying out the job said there was a plan to make Vani Vilas Road a double road.

‘‘Traffic here does not warrant a double road. The trees are no hindrance to traffic,’’ said Arun Kumar, who owns a shop there.

While officials in the forest department said they had given no clearance for felling the trees, sources in the BCC’s horticulture wing however claimed they had the authority to fell trees which obstructed smooth flow of traffic.

‘‘The BCC has been advised by the deputy commissioner of police (Traffic) to remove trees obstructing traffic. We have the authority to do so under the provisions of the Karnataka Municipal Corporation Act,’’ an official said.

A shopkeeper on the road Arun Kumar said he even spoke to Basavangudi MLA K. Chandrashekar but was told that the trees had to be removed to make way for the Metro.

Kumar said the MLA offered him saplings to replace the chopped trees. ‘‘How can saplings replace full-grown trees? The road will have no avenue till the saplings grow to be trees,’’ he said.

‘‘The flyover project itself has taken its toll on the trees. Now the approach to the flyover ramp will mean the axe for these young trees,’’ said G. Ramesh, a businessman on the road, pointing to three tall trees that were meant as replacements for those that were chopped down earlier.

Another resident K. Sadashiva Rao recalled how his grandson broke down on seeing his favourite tree reduced to a stump.

Anantha Swamy, executive engineer (Traffic Engineering Cell), BCC, who has been coordinating the operations, said the BCC commissioner had ordered pruning and chopping trees that posed a traffic hazard.

‘‘There is no solution to it. The traffic situation in the city is already acute and it would not be possible to delay the exercise any longer,’’ Swamy said.