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Yet another green canopy is under threat in Bangalore

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) plans to cut 141 trees of 10 different species standing along the road to construct a four-lane road.

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The green cover on the 4.5-km Suranjan Das Road which connects the Old Madras Road and Airport Road may go in a few days. The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) plans to cut 141 trees of 10 different species standing along the road to construct a four-lane road.

Local people and environmentalists oppose the plan.

According to the BBMP officials, the stretch has 56 rain trees, 30 Peltophorum trees, 30 Gulmohar trees, 13 Silver Oak tree, four Sisu or Indian Rosewood trees, one Gleditsia tree, one Spathodea tree, four Jacaranda tree, one Honge Tree and one Ashoka tree.

The Palike’s forest department has marked trees into eight blocks. They are finalising steps for floating a tender.

“Next week, we are calling a fresh tender for the construction of a four-lane road at Rs12 crores”, said BBMP chief engineer (major roads) TN Chikkarayappa.

BBMP’s north division deputy conservator of forests (DCF) Krishnappa said the trees on the stretch would be cut to give more room for road widening. But new saplings would be planted to compensate the loss, he added. People are not convinced.

“I am running a shop here for the past 40 years. Those days, the road was meant only for jogging and relaxation. Now a lot of vehicles pass on the road. BBMP should plan in such a way that the trees are protected while widening the stretch. It should protect the birds and insects which are dependent on these trees”, said Arif Pasha, 65.

Experts too slam the plan. Among them is Dr AN Yellappa Reddy, noted environmentalist and former officer with Indian Forest Service.

“I had inspected the road a year back and given suggestions to Palike engineers. I told them there was no necessity to cut trees. If they shifted the railway track, which runs near the road, a little ahead, they could save these precious trees. But they are not willing to listen,” he said.

The road was built in the 1940s by the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to connect its Aero Engine division with the main factory on Airport Road.

But as traffic increased, it became a connecting road between Airport Road and Old Madras Road. In 2006, HAL signed a deal with the BBMP and Bagmane Developers to construct a Rs8 crore, four-lane road in three phases. The project did not take off for years due to some technical problems.

Being a central government organisation, HAL is now willing to part with the land required to widen the road.

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