Palike mum on auction of felled trees

RTI query draws blank; no information even in reply submitted to the High Court

Most of the questions in an RTI application seeking details of such income, the number of saplings planted as replacement, and their locations, have drawn a blank.

The High Court of Karnataka had taken up a suo motu petition following media reports that over a thousand trees would be felled for the proposed road-widening plans of the Palike. Justice D V Shylendra Kumar, who took up the case, had observed that the traffic congestion in the City was not due to narrow roads but on account of poor planning. He had also suspected the role of a mafia in the proposed mass felling of trees to make unfair profits by purchasing valuable timber (felled trees) for a song.

Treating the matter as a public interest litigation, the court observed that the Palike had failed to protect century-old trees and that the civic agency had violated the Karnataka Forest Act, 1963, the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, 1976, and other pieces of environmental legislation.

Vaishali Hegde was appointed amicus curiae in the matter and the Division Bench headed by Chief Justice Vikramajit Sen asked the Palike to substantiate the reasons for the tree-felling plan. The Palike, in its statement of objections filed on July 23 this year, has referred elaborately to the steps taken to rejuvenate tanks, lakes and parks in the City.

Terming road-widening as part of ‘developmental activity,’ the BBMP has claimed that it conceived the project after satisfying itself on the need for road-widening. Dismissing media reports on large-scale tree felling plans as imaginary, the Palike has said it would “axe the trees, only wherever it is necessary” and that too after obtaining necessary permission from the competent authority.

It has also claimed felled trees were disposed of through public auction at rates fixed by competent authorities. According to a table given in the objection statement, the civic agency has transplanted a total of 140 trees during 2007-08 and 2008-09. It also claims to have planted 8,54,338 saplings in the City since 2007-08.

Enigmatic silence

Surprisingly, there is not even a whisper in the objection statement on the number of trees felled so far, or the income generated from auctioning of felled trees. The amicus curiae, in her rejoinder, has noted that the Palike had not produced any records as to the total number of trees it has cut for widening of roads, the number of plants/seedlings planted, location of such plantations, the amount spent towards such
afforestation/plantation and the present status of such projects. It also points out that the respondents (Palike and Tree Officer) have conveniently failed to mention the number of trees that would have to be felled for the proposed road-widening.

Deccan Herald, in an RTI application filed in May, sought to know from the Major Roads Division of the BBMP the details on the number of roads widened, their names, the number of trees felled for widening, and the income earned by auctioning of felled trees, the number of saplings planted as replacements, and their locations.

According to the reply, 98 trees were felled for the widening of a 4.3-km stretch on Hosur-Lashkar Road, between Shoole Circle and Yankee Factory.

The widening of the road from Yankee Circle to Central Silk Board (1.9 km) consumed 12 trees while eight trees were felled to broaden a 0.15-km stretch from the High Grounds police station to Gururaja Kalyana Mantapa. However, the questions on the auctioning of felled trees and the income therefrom, the number and places of saplings planted as replacement, remained answered.

The BBMP authorities sought to pass the buck for the tree-felling to Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation and infrastructure projects by the National Highways Authority of India.

“In the last five years, these authorities have felled as many as 5,606 trees,” said M Krishnappa, Deputy Conservator of Forests, BBMP. “With at least 70 per cent survival rate, we can say that our reforestation drive is proceeding welly. This month, we will plant 50,000 saplings,” Krishnappa added.

Amid the tall claims, the silence on the auction proceedings comes as an enigma.