Palike chops off 50 trees in a day
Black Saturday for the tree-lined boulevard of Suranjan Das Road
The BBMP’s promise to protect the City’s greenery turned out to be a lie with the felling of about 50 trees along the once picturesque Suranjan Das Road linking Old Madras Road on Saturday.
BBMP Commissioner Siddaiah had promised to protect the City’s greenery. But that concern was not demonstrated, when the Palike chopped down trees galore with an explanation that it had to widen the road.
Criticising the move to cut down trees, former High Court judge, Justice M F Saldanha said the cutting of trees may invite contempt of court.
He recalled the recent judgment delivered by the Chief Justice of the High Court, Justice J S Khehar, who had maintained the government has to seek public opinion before carrying out any work that is directly related to public interest, while hearing the Metro Rail project.
“Now no one can execute works clandestinely and public opinion should be sought.
The cutting of trees in Bangalore may come within the purview of contempt of court,” said Justice Saldanha. He expressed his apprehensions that there is a timber contractor mafia, which is butchering trees to make a fast buck.
“The BBMP officials auctions these trees for just Rs 3,000 per tree whereas the actual cost of these trees range from Rs 7 lakh to 20 lakh,” said Saldanha.
Residents shocked
Veerabhadra, a local resident, sounded desperate when he called up this office. "Please do something to prevent the cutting down of trees. We all grew up watching these trees. Now the entire stretch looks like a burial ground," he said.
Janakirama, another resident, claimed that the Palike had plans to cut down 650 trees. “In a single day they cut approximately some 50 trees. They are armed with hi-tech cutting tools which can fell trees in no time," he said.
Palike refutes claim
The Palike officials however, refuted the claims that 650 trees will be cut. The deputy conservator of Forests, Krishnappa said, "We will cut only 140 trees. It is not true that 650 trees will be cut." He said the Palike will plant double the number of trees in the same area in the nearby gardens. "
Krishnappa denied that the existence of a timber mafia behind the cutting of trees in Bangalore. "The trees lined up in Bangalore cannot be used in construction industry. These trees can only be used as fuel. The wood of these trees are sold somewhere between Rs 400 to Rs 600 per tonne”, he said.
According to Palike sources, the exercise is to make the road 80 feet wide.
"It was an old road widening project. It was necessary, so we are executing it," said a BBMP engineer associated with the project.
