The ‘Garden City of India’ – Bengaluru – in the recent past has often been in the spotlight for the opposite reasons: the loss of its green cover owing to development projects. In an attempt to address this and expand the lung spaces in the densely-populated city, Team Hasiru, a youth-led non-governmental organisation (NGO) has launched an initiative in collaboration with the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP). Announced on Tuesday, July 12, it will collaborate with citizens to locate, identify, and set up mini and micro forests and roadside tree plantations across the city.
The green campaign, aimed at reviving native flora and tackling climate change, hopes to plant as many trees as possible in 198 municipal wards of Bengaluru. The NGO has now called upon citizens to help identify and collect data on empty public spaces which can be used for this initiative. The project can be extended to private lands as well, after permissions from the owners. The team has prepared a Google form that can be accessed and filled online, and a fundraiser has also been started for the purpose of the project.
Team Hasiru believes that this is a citizen-led response to counter the felling of trees for development projects undertaken by the Karnataka government for lake rejuvenation, Namma Metro construction, and construction of eight-lane Peripheral Ring Road (PRR). Speaking to TNM, Sharath, a member of Team Hasiru, said that involving residents from the get go will give them a sense of ownership and spread awareness on the importance of conservation. The timeline of the launched initiative is subject to responses received from the residents along with the COVID-19-related restrictions in place.
#Bengalurians!
— Bengaluru/TeamHasiru (@WeAreBangalore) July 13, 2021
We need your Help!
Do you have ample space in your wards?
Or Road side space?
If yes - please do fill this form!https://t.co/6pzXIUtluB
We at #TeamHasiru will coordinate and setup mini/micro forests and roadside plantation in collaboration with the BBMP!
Following the data collection, maps of the areas, and further permissions and assistance will be sought from the BBMP authorities. The organisation is in the initial round of talks with the BBMP. “We want to collect information for two weeks after which our volunteer/citizen base will start work on a ward-to-ward basis. We also will clarify with the government officials if tree plantation can be carried out in the selected places. This is to ensure that after we complete work, the trees aren’t removed again for some development project or the other,” he said.
Team Hasiru has previously taken up plantation projects in parks of VV Puram and Jayanagar.
Vijay Nishanth, an urban conservationist, believes that such projects are much-needed. “The number of such initiatives needs to be increased. The BBMP Forest Department also takes up plantation upon request. If these are encouraged along with a mindset to conserve, the city’s green cover can be saved,” he told TNM.
Recently, a government project under Bengaluru Mission 2022 had over 22 acres of Kadugodi tree park opened to the public. Turahalli Park (40 acres) and Machohalli park (over 90 acres), designed in a fashion to promote rejuvenation and revitalisation of the city, are slated to open soon.