Bangaloreans Come Together To Oppose Cutting Of 50 Species Of Trees Without Permission

For over a week now, people in and across Karnataka are joining the ongoing chorus to save trees in the state. Not only this, people are also extending support on social media.

They are protesting against the proposal to amend the Karnataka Tree Preservation Act, that will make it easier to chop some 50 species of trees, including gulmohar, bamboo and African tulip.

BCCL

While the government say the move will benefit those in the rural areas, environmentalists and those opposing the move points out that the trees added in the list are mostly found in urban areas and they allege the decision is to help the timber mafia.

BCCL

Other than Gulmohar, Indian Coral, Raintree, Soapnut, conifers such as fir or pine used for Christmas tree, Dodda Bevu, Sausage tree, Umbrella tree, Malabar Neem and Indian Cork have made it to the list and now you do not need to have any prior permission to chop them.

BCCL

If approved, it will make it easier for Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to cut trees in the name of infrastructure projects without even public consultations.

Over the weekend activists took to the streets of Bengaluru, which will be one of the most affected areas due to the act to mark their protest.

Indiatimes

¡°If the bill gets passed, then most of the major trees of Bengaluru will vanish in a few years as they (civic agencies) will not need to take any permission to axe them,¡± said urban conservationist Vijay Nishanth who led one of the protests in Bengaluru.

Indiatimes

He estimates that with this the government will be able to chop down some 850 trees to make way for the steel flyover, which has been halted due to protests from environmentalists.

According to a recent study, the planned steel flyover from Basaveshwara Circle to Hebbal Flyover and widening of Jayamahal Road will cause a far greater impact than what is being projected. A conservative estimate reveals at least 2,244 trees from 71 species will be affected by tree felling ¨C far greater than official estimates of 812 or 1,668 trees from 45 species.

BCCL

Activists have also launched an online signature campaign seeking support for their protest against the proposed changes.

Nishanth has also written to Congress party president Rahul Gandhi seeking his support in the matter.

Indiatimes

This is not the first time the Karnataka government is accused of trying to water down the 1976 act.

But the move attains significance due to the growing awareness among people to save the trees of the Bengaluru, which made it the Garden City of India.