BDA mows down 25 rare bamboo species

BDA mows down 25 rare bamboo species
Says It Did So To Lay Road; Heart-Broken Owner To Give Away Plants To People
The Times of India

Bangalore: It’s like an oasis. As we walk into its enfolds, there is a distinct drop in temperature. This bamboo grove is possibly one of the richest biodiversity spots on Earth.
But to the Bangalore Development Authority, it seemed just another farm. The authorities didn’t care to know what this ecosystem was all about and why it had been created. It didn’t matter to them there were 100 exotic species, some brought from as far as South America and Australia.
The need for a road which runs alongside the grove prompted the authorities to mow down 25 of this rare species, one of which was planted by its former chairman, Ramesh. More so when the BDA has a rule to create lung space — mini-forest — in every new layout that it forms.
The man who raised the bamboo grove is heartbroken. Former Karnataka forest secretary A C Lakshmana hesitates to step into the farm on which he spent all his time since retirement. “I cared for the plants like my children. It was wonderful to see the fronds sway in the breeze. But now I hate to come here,” said Lakshmana.
Lakshmana is hurt that the BDA went ahead with the “execution’’ despite an assurance that the enclave would not be touched. “I was away in Delhi when I got an SMS from former urban development department secretary Shameem Bhanu, saying the authorities would not destroy the bamboo. But when I arrived, I noticed that some of the most precious species had been crushed by the JCB,” Lakshmana said.
“The grove was a centre of learning for foresters and researchers. Now, I am giving away my plants to people with the hope that they will give ten saplings each to others who are inclined to grow them. Though BDA has acquired the land, I’ve requested them that they retain this grove as a park so that people can experience this rare ecosystem.”
The BDA argues that the land technically belongs to it. The authorities are also quite casual about the bamboo species being destroyed.
“A 100-ft road had to be built which connects Sir M Visvesvaraya Layout, Magadi and Mysore roads. When the road was being constructed, some species got destroyed. In fact, we also replanted the species that had been uprooted. But it is not BDA’s responsibility to take care of it on regular basis. It is the owner’s job,” said BDA officials.