How green was my K R Road?

How green was my K R Road?


Trees chopped off for the metro rail project on K R Road in Bangalore.
Express News Service
First Published : 25 Oct 2008 07:53:00 AM IST
Last Updated : 25 Oct 2008 12:10:18 PM IST

BANGALORE: Nama Metro has finally cornered one of the oldest parts of the Garden City, which had so far managed to preserve its natural green cover. K R Road, which had successfully kept the city’s burgeoning infrastructure development at arm’s length, will have to make way for the Metro rail project.

Around 325 old and huge trees of the K R Road will become mere memories for Bangaloreans with a massive tree-felling initiative to begin on the stretch on Friday as the underground metro rail alignment passes through it.

“KR Road had some of the best trees in the city and many were 60-70 years old,” said Leo Saldanha, founder of the Environment Support Group.

According to Saldanha, felling the trees on K R Road would be in violation of the Karnataka High Court orders, as a committee which was nominated by the Court, has not permitted this.

C Jayaram, Environmental Officer, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL), said that the trees would be cut only when it is inevitable. “We have presented a list of trees that should be cut to proceed with the Metro work to the committee nominated by the High Court.

Trees are being felled only after the Committee’s approval,” he added. However, he could not give the number of trees that have been approved to be felled.

The whopping official number of trees to be felled was revealed when The Express spoke to the Assistant Conservator of Forest, BBMP, R Suresh, who said that 325 trees are supposed to be cut and another 42 would be pruned between Shivashankar Circle and Siddaiah Circle for the Metro Rail work.Suresh explained that it was inevitable to cut the given number of trees to carry on the work. “The other option is to bulldoze hundreds of buildings in the surrounding area,” he said.

He clarified that the Forest wing of the BBMP is carrying out the tree felling after approval from the Committee nominated by the High Court.

On the possibilities of transplanting the trees elsewhere, Suresh said: “Transplanting trees is not very easy and depends on the site as well as the condition of the tree. Only a young and healthy tree can be transplanted, not very old trees. Moreover, a tree that has underground water, electricity and telephone lines nearby cannot be transplanted and has to be cut.” Earlier, a few grown trees from M G Road, which were in the way of the Metro, were transplanted in the nearby Army Ground.