13 trees near Silk Board felled 'illegally' for Metro line

BMRCL contractors “illegally” chopped down 13 trees near the Central Silk Board for the upcoming RV Road-Bommasandra Metro line, BBMP Forest Cell officials and conservationists have alleged.

“Permission was given to axe 10 trees on the condition that afforestation in the ratio of 1:4 will carried out. But no afforestation has been done. Instead, without our knowledge, 13 more trees have been cut down. We have also been warned against complaining about the matter as it would affect our jobs,” a BBMP Forest Cell official said on condition of anonymity.

Tree conservationist Vijay Nishanth said 23 trees had been cut down on a 300-metre stretch. “These were healthy shady trees of Jacaranda, Desi Badam, Jamun, Gulmohar, Raintree, Tabubia and Bauhinia,” he said.

Nishanth, a member of the high court-appointed expert committee on tree cutting, said the committee was not consulted before the trees were felled. “When we went to the BBMP Forest Cell to file a complaint against the BMRCL, they did not register one, as they are scared,” he claimed.

BMRCL managing director Pradeep Singh Kharola, however, said he was not aware of the incident. “As of now, I do not know about this development. I will talk to the officials concerned and get information on this,” he said.