The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is pushing for two more grade separators, being constructed by the BDA, that will involve felling of 200 more trees.
Deccan Herald had reported a month ago that at least 500 trees will be axed for building grade separators near Sadashivanagar Police Station and Hosur Lashkar Road.
Now BDA has come out with three grade separators at Shamanna Garden where a railway overbridge and underbridge will be constructed.
The BDA has asked the BBMP to axe at least 200 trees, 154 trees at Shamanna Garden alone. The Environment Support Group (ESG) and Hasiru Usiru, another green organisation, had lodged their complaint with the BBMP demanding public hearing based on the directives of High Court.
Based on the complaint, Chandrashekhar, Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), BBMP, on Tuesday held a meeting with the ESG, Hasiru Usiru and Citizens’ Action Forum, where the activists stressed on transparency while executing infrastructure projects.
Phanisai Bharadwaj of Citizens’ Action Forum said the BDA should put the Detailed Project Report (DPR) in the public domain and publish notification in the newspapers seeking public opinion. He asked the BDA not to undertake work near Sadashivanagar police station till the CNR Rao Circle underpass is completed. To this the BDA officer promised to consider his suggestion.
Leo Saldanha of ESG told the DCF that there is a clear-cut instruction by the Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court that widening of the road must strictly conform to the Town and Country Planning Act.
He also reminded him that the State Government or the BBMP is the custodian and not the owner of the road in the City and that the government agencies should not take decisions unilaterally. The DCF told the activists that there is pressure from the BDA and other agencies to widen the roads to ease traffic congestion.
Tree mapping
During the meeting, the DCF told the activists that the Palike will take up tree mapping and the forest division has sought Rs 20 lakh in the budget for the same.
The work will be taken up as a pilot project. People who attended the meeting suggested him to link the tree-mapping with the road history which will yield more results.