Bengaluru: BBMP axes mature rain tree in RR Nagar; sparks protests

The BBMP deployed men and machinery to chop the healthy tree which stood on the corner of a road, just five days after a request.

Bengaluru: A 40-year-old rain tree has been axed on the request of a builder in RR Nagar, setting off protests by environmentalists and residents of the area.

The BBMP deployed men and machinery to chop the healthy tree which stood on the corner of a road, just five days after the request. B M Prasanna Kumar, a resident of Vishwabharathi Housing Complex Society in RR Nagar, had requested the cutting of the tree stating that its branches extended over the road. The request also stated the damage the tree caused to two cars but did not back the claim with proof. 

BBMP’s deputy conservator of forest (DCF) BLG Swamy approved the request, referring to a spot inspection carried out by the zonal forest officials. 

Residents said the BBMP approved the request without verifying the health of the tree. When the civic body started cutting the tree on Saturday, some of them rang up the forest officials but there was no response. They rushed to the police to file a complaint. By the time the residents returned, the tree was chopped. 

Environmentalist Joseph Hoover said the BBMP finds no time to remove dead branches but acted in a hurry to chop a healthy tree. “This is not just about one tree. If people who do it are not punished, our future generations will be in a grave situation,” he said.