Tree census on roads marked for widening

Tree census on roads marked for widening

The Hindu

Traffic police in Bangalore want 12 roads to be widened

# At least three-fourths of the trees on the roads may have to be drastically trimmed
# 76 trees may have to be cut down on Nrupathunga Road
# Close to 100 roads to be widened in the next three years

Bangalore: Hasiru Usiru, an environmental organisation, has been conducting a survey of avenue trees along some of the major roads in the city, which have been identified for widening. Chances are that at least three-fourths of these trees may have to be drastically trimmed, if not felled altogether.

The traffic police and other authorities have informed the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike that 12 roads have to be widened as soon as possible for smoother movement of traffic.

According to a preliminary study, there are about 1,300 trees on these roads. On Nrupathunga Road alone, which is slated for widening, 76 trees may have to be cut down. The environmental organisation is also counting the trees in Seshadripuram.

According to the people behind Hasiru Usiru, some of the roads such as Nrupathunga Road were widened quite recently and have also been made one-way, and there is no need for trees to be cut to widen them further. The organisation says it is ready to come up with alternative traffic management solutions that will keep the trees intact.

"We are working on alternatives such as diverting traffic away from some of these roads to reduce the pressure on the roads and a detailed report is being submitted to the BMP Commissioner," a spokesperson for the organisation said. Hasiru Usriu has been holding a series of meetings in this regard with BMP officials and engineers.

The BMP has maintained that road widening does not automatically mean that trees need to be cut down.

There will be a detailed assessment of all trees on these roads and wherever possible branches alone may be cut or pruned. Felling a tree may happen only when it is absolutely necessary for the road alignment.

There have been instances where roads have been widened without trees being felled as on the south-eastern portion of Mahatma Gandhi Road.