BMRCL unrelenting, 1,800 trees in Lalbagh face the axe

BMRCL unrelenting, 1,800 trees in Lalbagh face the axe

B.S. Ramesh
Government notification issued for acquisition of land in Lalbagh
— Photo: K. Murali Kumar

LALBAGH’S LAND GONE: A portion of Lalbagh from West Gate towards South End Circle on R.V. Road will change forever as metro rail work begins.
BANGALORE: Around 1,800 trees in Bangalore, most of them decades old, would be felled for the Bangalore Metro project. And the much hyped Namma Metro would gobble up parts of Lalbagh and Cubbon Park in the days to come.

While Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL), which is taking up the metro project, has already taken possession of a small piece of Lalbagh, it has applied to the High Court for permission to dig up the lawns in front of the court premises to build a road as the Ambedkar Veedhi between Gopala Gowda Circle and GPO Circle would be closed to facilitate construction of an underground station in front of Vidhana Soudha.

Even as BMRCL is awaiting a green signal from the High Court for digging up Cubbon Park, it has decided to go ahead with the project at Lalbagh despite stiff opposition from environmental groups and Bangaloreans opposed to felling of trees in the world famous botanical gardens.

According to sources, the Government issued a notification clearing the way for acquiring only a small part of Lalbagh land in front of R.V. Road for construction of a metro rail station. It is said that the Horticulture Department had surveyed the area and even valued the trees slated to be “felled”.

BMRCL Deputy Chief Engineer and Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Yeshwanth Chavan, told The Hindu that “less than two dozen trees would be felled inside the Lalbagh.

He said as per the information received, most of the trees marked for felling are Nilgiri trees,” he said. He said the corporation had applied in March 2009 for permission from Bruhat Bangalore Mahangara Palike (BBMP) to fell 225 trees along the Lakshma Rau Boulevard (Nanda Talkies road) and K.R. Road. He said the Tree Officer of BBMP is likely to accord permission anytime. Justifying the felling of trees, he said it was only to make way for construction of a station. The structure required ramps and winding stairs as the station would be elevated.

Mr. Chavan said the BMRCL was not anti-green as it was being painted. He said the BMRCL had so far planted 15,000 saplings in 20 different locations in Bangalore and given Rs. 65 lakh to the civic authorities for maintaining the saplings for three years.

He said some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) had met him to protest over the felling of trees at Lalbagh and other places. They had suggested that the metro could go underground to prevent felling of trees.

He said the BMRCL was willing to arrange for a presentation for these NGOs so that it could convince them about the feasibility of alignment already arrived at.