10 trees escape BBMP axe

10 trees escape BBMP axe
NGO helps save 10 of 120 trees marked for cutting to widen Mysore Road
DEEPTHI M R


Ten trees saved, 24
uprooted and 86 still on the chopping block.
Thanks to an NGO, ten out of the total 120 trees marked for chopping on Mysore Road as part of the road widening process, have been saved.
The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) was planning to widen the road between Sirsi Circle and Nayandahalli bus stand. It had envisaged a six-lane road at a cost of Rs 18.7 crore on the stretch, which is chock-a-block with traffic.
Tree Protectors, an NGO, inspected the 3.7-km road and convinced the authorities to save ten trees.
Keshavan V Chalam, president of the NGO, said, "Though the road is congested, there is no way
the road can be widened as the trees are too close to the drainage pipes."
BBMP MISLED
The BBMP officials, however, had sought permission to cut 120 trees, of which 24 have already been felled. Chalam said, "There was no need to cut those trees as the road can't be widened. The BBMP has been misled and it has fallen prey to someone's scheme to cut down trees."
A team of experts from Tree Protectors visited the site with Ashwath Narayan Reddy, assistant executive engineer, BBMP and Puttaswamy, deputy conservator of forests, BBMP. Reddy said, "We again inspected the site along with the NGO. Their motive is to save trees, ours is to make the road free for vehicles to move."
SHOPS TO GO
The BBMP will be building new drains, for which it will be razing many shops and business establishments. "We have already informed the people (about the demolition) and they have started vacating their properties. We will build new drainage systems. We will try to save as many trees as possible."
The road is currently 22 metres' wide and the BBMP plans to make it 30 metres by end of this year. The trees were auctioned on March 18 and six contractors took up the job of cutting the trees.
CELEBS JOIN ANTI-WAR MEMORIAL PROTEST
The anti-war memorial protest found a new voice from the city's cultural world on Thursday. Many celebrities and socialites, while batting for the conservation of the city's green sheen, have criticised the government's decision to construct the National Military Memorial (NMM) inside the Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park. Concerned over the cutting of trees and destruction of fragile ecosystem of the park that has several decades-old trees, celebrities have attacked the government's decision to hand over the part of the park's land to private trust for building a memorial


Cutting trees is nothing but going against the mother earth itself. Bangalore is loosing its greenery everyday and it should be stopped.
Kavita Lankesh,
film director



Yeddyurappa's government will be remembered for the destruction of greenery in Bangalore.This has resulted in a drastic change in city's climate.At a time when they are spending so much on construction, why cannot they spend a little towards the conservation of environment either by retaining the trees or planting saplings? It is a shame to see so many trees going down by the day. Prasad Bidappa, fashion coordinator



I am against the project as many trees have already been cut down unnecessarily.The government has exhibited its selfishness by being concerned about the memorial but not considering the consequences and sentiments of the people. Instead of cutting trees and build a memorial, why can not they build in some vacant land?
Anita Kholay, rallyist






LET’S TALK! BBMP officials and volunteers of the NGO Tree Protectors at Mysore Road



Nobody will stop by to take a glance at the memorial because it is in such a discrete location. There are so many open spaces and vacant lands across the city that can be utilised for this purpose. Further, uprooting of trees is an upsetting factor because Bangalore has already lost many trees for the Metro and other construction projects.
RJ Raaj