Green activists plan stir;say work at Lal Bagh still on

Green activists plan stir;say work at Lal Bagh still on
DH News Service,Bangalore:
Even after the government directed the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to stop all construction work at Lal Bagh and R V Road, the work is still being carried out, alleged environmentalists on Monday.

Green activists confirmed to a shed being installed and some digging work being carried out at the Lal bagh premises, a day after Minister for Transport R Ashok who is also in-charge of Bangalore reportedly instructed BMRCL to stop all the activities to prepare for the construction of the elevated station in a portion of Lal bagh land, until the elections are over.
However, a spokesperson for BMRCL said whatever work was permitted by the government earlier, is being carried out and will continue.
Trees to be uprooted
At the R V Road - Nanda Theatre Road, 323 trees have been confirmed to be uprooted for the Metro project by BMRCL, despite the forest department and the concerned BBMP tree officer not permitting the same, added a member of Hasiru Usiru, a green group.
It may be recalled that on April 11, BMRCL contractors had made an attempt to cut branches of a few trees on the Nanda Theatre Road stretch and BBMP thereafter booked a case against these contractors under the ‘Tree Preservation Act’.
The environmental activists have been leading a determined struggle to make sure the metro alignment does not violate
Lal Bagh and Nanda Theatre Road environment.
After three successful protests, the activists are demanding an alternate solution so that Lal Bagh and the tree cover on Nanda Theatre Road are saved.
Protesters are now planning to conduct a ‘Padayatra’ on R V Road, on Tuesday to make sure the Government issues a stay order to the current southern alignment of the metro and orders for public consultations on a new alignment.