77 Malleswaram trees face axe

77 Malleswaram trees face axe
Deccan Herald

The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) will axe 77 full-grown rain trees on 5th Cross near the Malleswaram circle to pave the way for construction of the proposed Rs 18-crore grade separator.

The new year is not going to be all that happy for residents of Malleswaram.

For, one of Bangalore’s oldest localities will soon lose some of its green cover. The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) will axe 77 full-grown rain trees on 5th Cross near the Malleswaram circle to pave the way for construction of the proposed Rs 18-crore grade separator.

The BMP has already auctioned 18 trees to be chopped and contractors will take up the work in a day or two. Construction of the project is under way and traffic on 5th Cross road (a stretch between Malleswaram Circle and the Link Road for Seshadripuram) has been blocked.

Despite being one of the busiest areas in the City with a heavy flow of traffic, Malleswaram has managed to retain its charm so far because of the extensive green cover. Residents of Malleswaram, under the banner Swabimana initiative, have been protesting the grade separator project. They had asked the local body to find alternatives to ease traffic on the 5th Cross and Sampige Road intersection. But these have fallen on deaf ears.

BMP Tree Officer Krishna Udupudi said the grade separator at the junction is necessary to ease traffic.

Meanwhile, the BMP’s auctioning of trees to be cut for the project has come under a cloud, with members of the Karnataka Parisara Samrakshana Vedike on Monday protesting at Malleswaram Circle alleging that the trees have been auctioned at throwaway prices.

The protesters alleged that 18 trees were auctioned for a mere Rs 85,000. “Each of these trees cost at least Rs 1 lakh. BMP officials have favoured some contractor and auctioned them at low prices,” Vedike president J Jayappa alleged.

However, the BMP Tree Officer flatly denied the charge.

“It was an open auction and there is no question of favouring any particular contractor. In fact, we have got very good rates in the auction,” he claimed.