Protest against tree-felling turns ugly

Protest against tree-felling turns ugly

Staff Reporter
Sivasailam clarifies on several issues related to Namma Metro the project
— Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

Allaying fears: N. Sivasailam, Managing Director of Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd, interacting with the residents of Jayanagar who staged a protest on R.V. Road against tree felling for the metro rail project in Bangalore on Saturday.
BANGALORE: A protest by a large number of people in South Bangalore against tree-felling for the Namma Metro project turned ugly when Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL) Managing Director N. Sivasailam joined the procession on Nanda Talkies Road in Jayanagar on Saturday.

Chaos prevailed for a while when arguments broke out between the participants who held opposite views on the metro project.

Mr. Srisailam walked with members of the Federation of Jayanagar Residents’ Association, politicians and environmental activists and tried to calm down the frayed tempers,

As the participants marched towards Rajalakshmi Kalyan Mantap, Mr. Sivasailam stopped at a few places and discussed the importance of those places in the Metro plan.

Many wanted to know why Nanda Talkies Road would have three stations and demanded that only one station be set up at the end of the road as this would protect the greenery to an extent.

“A vacant plot near South End Circle could be used for constructing a metro station,” Abhijit Shashidhar said, while Dharma Somashekar of Jayanagar suggested that the metro alignment on this stretch could go underground.

On the suggestions to change the alignment to save trees, Mr. Sivasailam said: “The decision to realign is not in my hands. I am only implementing the project.”

The protesters raised slogans against tree-felling and expressed concern about the damage that would be caused to the beauty and canopy of the road once the trees were cut.

“Trees that are away from the metro rail line would not be cut. Protruding trees obstructing the train’s movement would be trimmed,” Mr. Sivasailam said even as the protesters disrupted him alleging that many trees would be axed.

“We will take up sapling plantation and people must also help us in this effort,” he said when a resident asked Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. to mark the trees that would be felled.

Mr. Sivasailam provided details regarding evacuation of passengers during emergencies, estimated cost of the metro stations, and facilities for differently-abled people.

Later, interacting with a gathering at Lakshman Rao Park, he said: “Our office is open for anyone who needs clarification on the Metro project.”

The former Chairman of the Legislative Council B.K. Chandrashekar, Jayanagar MLA B.N. Vijayakumar, Prof. G.K. Govind Rao, and environmentalist Leo Saldanha were among those present.