No dropping stations, will save trees: BMRCL

Responding to activists’ demand to merge the Vellara and Langford metro stations into one to save trees, BMRCL on Thursday said such a move would not be feasible.

However, the corporation assured transplanting the trees to save green cover.

BMRCL chief public relations officer B L Yashvanth Chavan said a media report suggested the elimination of the proposed metro station at Vellara Junction, and clarified it would not be feasible.

“If the station at Vellara Junction is skipped, the distance between Langford and MG Road stations will become 2,144 m. It will deprive the facility to commuters from areas like Vellara Junction, the Bengaluru Football Stadium, Garuda Mall, Cathedral High School, Sacred Heart Church and St Philomena’s Hospital, among others.

“Further, when the interstation distance exceeds 1,500 m, an intermediate shaft for ventilation and rescue needs to be constructed, (which) also requires land,” Chavan said in a release.

Last month, members of the United Conservation Movement had met Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) officials to save ‘80 trees’ on the stretch.

However, they had not asked for mere elimination of a metro station, but the merger of the two metro stations.

Joseph Hoover, convener of the NGO, had said in a release last month that BMRCL should build one metro station in between the spots proposed for the two metro stations.

The measure would eliminate one station, save hundreds of crores of rupees as well as trees.

Chavan further said that as per BMRCL’s counting, the number of trees affected will be less than 50 and many of them can be transplanted so that the disturbance to green cover within the church premises is minimum.