200 trees to be chopped for Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway, green activists up in arms

Activists from both Mysuru and Bengaluru are planning a petition campaign to stop the process.
200 trees to be chopped for Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway, green activists up in arms
200 trees to be chopped for Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway, green activists up in arms

Environmentalists in Karnataka, especially those in Bengaluru and Mysuru are in panic mode, as they are trying to generate public pressure to save more than 200 trees from getting axed.

The trees are slated to be chopped to make way for the widening of a small stretch of 4.2 kilometres of the Bengaluru-Mysuru Highway. The mandatory public consultation by the Forest Department regarding this was held on Wednesday.

“There were not many people in the meeting today, as it was called at around 5pm. There are a lot of old and good trees with some as old as 40 years. People from Bengaluru and Mysuru are coordinating to save these trees. What is the meaning of this development? Right now, we have nice canopies and all,” Vijay Nishanth, eco-activist said.

Tejaswi, an activist, who was present at the public consultation meeting complained about lack of preparation by the forest department.

“They (forest department) came late and only a few people were there. They took note of some of the objections which the people presented to them,” he said.

He added that activists from both Mysuru and Bengaluru are planning a petition campaign to stop the process.

The 4-km stretch starts from Mysuru Circle (Columbia Asia) to Kalaswadi village and has 209 trees.

Tejaswi said, “The NHAI and the Forest Department are not looking at alternatives that are available. They want to repeat the same process followed 50 years ago. They can look for opportunities how to transplant the trees or find a way around.”

“There needs to be a proper survey on the species and all the ages of the trees. Experts have to be deployed to ascertain if any of these can be retained or transplanted. All these trees are decades old. To grow one such tree, it will take so much time. But the authorities are not concerned,” he added.    

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