HC stays Palike's redesigning work

HC stays Palike's redesigning work

Odeal D'Souza. Bangalore



The high court on Wednesday stayed the BBMP's drive to redesign the Eco Park into a modern facility.
The division bench headed by justices VG Sabahith and AS Bopanna ordered an interim stay on changing or altering the original landscape of Eco Park. The bench directed the BBMP not to fell trees until further orders while listening to a public interest litigation filed by Subraya K, principal of NSVK School and two others.
The petitioners' counsel Anu Chengappa submitted that the park was designed according to the Vedic principles. The park had a temple designed by environmentalist AN Yellappa Reddy. Also known as Srigiri Betta, it had about 600 trees including 160 aromatic and medicinal trees like Champa, Kavali, Eupherbia, Tulsi, and Arali. Over a period of 30 years, the petitioners had spent Rs25 lakh on the park, the counsel said.
Chengappa contended that the Eco Park was being used by the public for the past 30 years. Even students had benefited a lot as it held a variety of trees and plants. Now BBMP wanted to convert the Eco Park into a modern one. It had already fenced the park. But the petitioners had developed the park and taken care of it. Hence the court should prevent the BBMP from redoing the park, the counsel said.
Meanwhile, even as the BBMP was axing and pruning trees to make concrete paths, erecting lights and arranging seats inside the 1.46-acre park to turn it into a commercial facility, the local residents are shocked and angry.
The civic body was doing this for the interest of a few, said Dr Vijaya Subaraj, professor and guest faculty at Sheshadripuram College. In the process, it had destroyed the Amruthaballi which was planted on the fence across the park.
But the local corporator denied this. "This is a wonderful park. I assure residents that no tree will be destroyed. If they come to know of any tree being cut in the area, let them bring it to my notice. It will be stopped and action will be taken against the offender,'' said L Srinivasa.
"I feel a developed park is one which has a concrete pathway for walkers, proper lighting, seating arrangements and chain-link fencing. This is what is being done here at a cost of Rs6 lakh. It will be completed in two months. I am doing this for the people and not for my interest. But I am unaware of the activities of litterbugs in the park,'' he added