Cabinet approves steel flyover project; 812 trees to be axed

As many as 812 trees will have to be axed to make way for the steel flyover from Basaveshwara Circle to Hebbal. The Cabinet approved the contentious infrastructure project on Wednesday. The six-lane 6.7-km steel flyover will pass through Basaveshwara Circle, High Grounds, Windsor Manor, Cauvery junction, Mehkri Circle, Sanjaynagar and connect Hebbal flyover.

After the Cabinet meeting, Law Minister T B Jayachandra told reporters that L&T company, Mumbai and NCCL, Hyderabad will execute the project at a revised cost of Rs 1,791 crore from the estimated Rs 1,856 crore. The project is proposed to be completed in 24 months.

He did not specify when the work would commence. Asked whether users of the flyover will have to pay toll, he said, “We will decide about it.” In all, 812 trees including Mahagony, Dalachandra, Tolema, Shivane, Akasha Mallige, Tabebuia rosea, among others of different girth will be axed to make way for the flyover. To compensate the green loss, BDA will plant 60,000 sapling in its layouts, the minister said.

The project has been opposed by urban planners, green activists and elected representatives. Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrashekhar has termed the project as a means to mobilise funds for the next Assembly polls while Namma Bengaluru Foundation, promoted by him has decided to approach the court.

The project has not been approved by the Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee,  the statutory planning body for the city. Also, there has been no public consultation on it.