Tree parks planned in new BDA layouts

Tree parks planned in new BDA layouts

The Hindu

Work may begin soon; saplings purchased

# New proposal may push up the price of sites
# Jogger's track to be laid in all tree parks
# Question mark remains over maintenance of tree parks

BANGALORE: The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) will take up establishing tree parks in some of its layouts by the first week of June, said an official.

"We are assessing the areas in which we are going to put up the tree parks. The saplings for them have been purchased," said a BDA official.

The tree parks will come up at Anjanapura, HSR Layout, Banashankari 6th Stage and Visvesvaraya Layout as well as in all new BDA layouts.

A jogger's track will be laid around the tree park.

"We want to green these areas and create oxygen banks around the city," said the BDA official. Once the tree parks are established, they will be handed over to the city municipal corporation.

The tree parks, he said, would have a cluster of mostly fruit bearing trees. "We are not planning to have ornamental trees for the present. They will require a lot of maintenance," he said. The official said the seven gardens in HSR Layout were completed. An acre of the garden would cost the BDA Rs. 14 lakh.

However, residents are concerned that the establishment of the tree parks would lead to an increase in the cost of a site. The pricing of a BDA site was determined by the area and civic amenities provided in it.

"The BDA is considering increasing the price of its sites. The more amenities they provide, the more they will want to charge from us. It will become like a private builders site," said Santhana Krishna.

The BDA is considering a two-fold increase in the price of the sites. But the proposal is yet to be placed before its board.

Residents are concerned about the fate of the tree parks once they are handed over to the city municipal corporations. Maintaining a park is similar to those provided by private developers that cost around Rs. 70 per square foot per month.

"Most of the city municipal councils do not have sufficient funds. So how will they to manage these tree parks?," asks M. Prasanna.

The Bangalore Development Authority has not yet assessed the cost of the project. "It would depend on the location of the tree park and whether it would need fencing or not," the official added.