Protests by environmentalists on the eve of International Biodiversity Day force the government to shelve a proposal to drop these tree varieties, integral to the city’s biodiversity from the purview of the Tree Act, which protects them from being felled.
A public outpouring of anger against a forest department proposal that would leave Bangalore further stripped off its green cover has made the state government to put it on hold.
The department had on February 23 suggested that the Karnataka Preservation of Tree Act (KPTA), 1976, be amended to remove 41 tree species, including ficus, mango, tamarind, neem and honge, from its purview. This would leave trees of the species without any protection against being axed.
Environmental groups and activists, along with concerned citizens, are up in arms against the proposal. On Friday, the World Biodiversity Day, about 100 people, including children, senior citizens, home makers, corporates and NRIs, along with members of the Environment Support Group (ESG) and Hasiru Usiru, staged a protest opposite the Aranya Bhavan demanding that the Act should not be amended.
Siddharth S, 10, said that he was taking part in the protest demonstration because he did not want the city to lose mango and jackfruit trees. “I don’t want the state government to approve the forest department proposal,” he said.
Anusha V Tullam, 12, also took part in the protest. “The forest department proposal to amend the Act will strip the city of its green cover completely,” she said.
“Bangalore has a large number ficus, mango, tamarind, neem and honge trees,” ESG member Leo Saldanha said. “These trees are an integral part of the city’s biodiversity. But they will be lost if the proposal is accepted,” he said. “It is clear that the timber and infrastructural lobby is behind the proposal.”
“I was born and brought up in Bangalore,” Aishwarya Ratan, a Microsoft employee, said. “The city has drastically changed over the years, as it is losing its green cover rapidly. I and 50 colleagues are opposed to the idea.”
The protestors submitted a petition to the additional principal chief conservators of forest (APCCF) Rajanna and N Sunder Naik against the proposal. Naik and Rajanna said they would hand it over to the chief secretary. They said a decision would be taken only after a public debate involving citizens, NGOs and conservationists.
Principal chief conservator of forest IB Srivastav said the proposal was intended to help farmers. “As per the national forestry policy, 33% of land should be under green cover,” he said. “Farmers are facing a lot of problems due to this since they cannot trees for cultivation. This amendment is to help them,” Srivastav said.”
There will be no harm done to the Western Ghats and other forest areas, which are anyway protected under the Forest Act.”
Western Ghats Task Force chairman Ananth Hegde Ashisara said the state government had temporarily suspended the proposal in view of the protests. “We will call a meeting of experts, environmentalists and farmers to take a final decision on which trees should be exempted from the Act.” Ashisara said 11 tree species were currently not covered by the Act.
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