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Residents of Jayamahal goes all out to save tree-lined street

Residents and youth here have joined forces to declare war against the move of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike to clear the road of as many as 856 trees.

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In a show of solidarity to save hundreds of trees and spare the pedestrians inconvenience, residents of the leafy Jayamahal Road, some 2,000 people including 500 school and college students, have decided to form a human chain on Sunday to protest the move to fell trees here to widen this 60-feet road into an 8-lane one.

Residents and youth here have joined forces to declare war against the move of the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike to clear the road of as many as 856 trees—many of them mature and about 40 years old—to widen this ‘royal’ stretch for smoother traffic flow.

They have moved the state government, warned the Palike, and plan to seek judicial intervention. Public meetings to plan the resistance strategy will start from Saturday.

“Over my dead body,” declared one student leader, a member of a group called Wild Forever Foundation (WFF). Students have taken the lead by pasting on adult trees on the road here a plea written on a paper, with a sad smiley emoticon: “Don’t kill me, please,” the trees appear to say.

In a cat-and-mouse game over the past few weeks, students pasted the posters by day, and found them torn down by night. The youth would set about making more posters and pasting them again, the next day.

“This is atrocious, completely unacceptable,” remarked Vinay Srinivas of the non-governmental organisation Hasiru Usiru, which has been at the forefront of the public gatherings against felling of trees. “Despite strong and widespread  public opposition, and considering also the questionable benefits of road widening, the BBMP presses ahead with road widening at Bellary Road (from Mekhri Circle to Cauvery Theatre) and Jayamahal Main Road (Mekhri Circle to Cantonment Junction). There is just no public consultation, no study of the possible impact of these moves, no concern to find less destructive alternatives.”

“The number of vehicles will only keep growing, and widening the road won’t make a difference in the long run. Besides, crossing wider roads is more difficult. Pedestrians, the elderly, the disabled and children will all be worse off for wider roads.

Moreover, 856 trees are marked for felling, many of them decades old. The neighbourhood will be that much poorer for the loss of green cover, shade and fresh air,” Srinivas said.

Preran Chowdary, a student of the pre-university course and also a member of the Wild Forever Foundation, said that a team from the group met the state forest minister CH Vijayashankar on Thursday and urged him to intervene to save so many trees.

The minister has reportedly assured them that he would visit the spot and consult officials. “Will those set to saw off so many full-grown trees produce as many trees in 50 years? Don’t they want oxygen?” asked Chowdary, in anguish.

The solidarity forum, Hasiru Usiru, the WFF, students and residents have planned a public meeting at the Raman Research Institute on Saturday. Among those slated to attend are BBMP commissioner Siddaiah, the chief engineer of the BBMP, and H Ravindra, chairman, BBMP standing committee for major works.

Shashank RB, a student of St Joseph’s School, said that residents have collected signatures from 500 people in support of the move to stall felling of trees. Nagaraj, corporator of Ganganagar, also stood by the residents. 

Shashank said that the civic agency ought to look at alternatives before widening roads, and consider building an underpass or a ramp.

Kathyayini Chamaraj, a prominent civic activist, said, “It is sad that the Palike does not listen to the public outcry.” She added that she would throw her lot in with those citizens resisting the move to fell trees. “The city cannot afford loss of more trees. It would be disastrous,” she said.   
 

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