Residency Road will lose 700 trees, thanks to BCC

Residency Road will lose 700 trees, thanks to BCC
The Times of India

Bangalore: In a desperate bid to decongest traffic in the city, the BCC is readying its axe to lay low over 700 fully grown trees. On Wednesday, eight massive trees along Residency Road - from the Bangalore Club to the Cash Pharmacy - were felled in gross violation of law.

Following complaints from several civic and environmental organisations, the state forest department was directed to take immediate and appropriate action against the illegal treefelling.

“While this review is in process, BCC has no authority whatsoever to allow felling of roadside trees. Even as a police complaint has been lodged to stop illegal felling of trees, police action has been questionable in arresting peaceful protesters who want to save the trees,” charged the Environment Support Group’s Leo Saldanha.

Through communications with the forest department, various environment conscious organisations have reportedly received categorical information that permission for tree felling cannot be accorded to the BCC.

On Thursday, young school children climbed trees on Residency Road in their attempt to stop treefelling.
“The authorities can consider several other solutions to decongest traffic in this zone. Certain second-hand car sale shops are housed in the Bishop Cotton School premises, hogging most of the parking space here. If Bishop Cotton’s School instructs all its students to come only by public bus, then there woudn’t be traffic congestion. Trees can be saved thus,” protesters felt.