JOIN USActivists slam plans to turn forest land into tree park in Jarakabande Kaval
The government’s proposal to build a Lalbagh-style tree park in the Jarakabande Kaval reserved forest has won condemnation from conservationists.
Some saw the project as a way to help the BDA skirt around restrictions for the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project. The Jarakabande Kaval reserved forest is sprawled over 644 acres and 22 guntas.
While a tree park built by the Forest Department has already become a popular lung space, Horticulture Minister N Muniratna’s suggestion to turn part of the forest into a tree park modelling the famous botanical garden has left conservationists red-faced.
After scouring Bengaluru North taluk, department officials said they zeroed in on the 250 acres of the forest because it mostly has eucalyptus trees. Conservationists, on the other hand, accused the government of coveting the forest area for development activities for the past few years.
Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has sought 25 acres of the forest for the PRR, which is mired in controversy.
United Conservation Movement’s Joseph Hoover questioned the rationale behind building a tree park in the reserved forest. “It directly violates the Forest Conservation Act as well as the state government’s rules on forest protection. Still, the state forest department is being pressured to give away the reserved forest land,” he said.
The principal secretary of the Horticulture Department said the tree park does not involve the construction of concrete structures.
“Eucalyptus trees are known to negatively impact the water table and soil. The plan is to plant native species and provide a natural park. We will also create a natural water storage area to rejuvenate the ecosystem,” he said.
An activist fighting the PRR project said the tree park is a way to downgrade forest land to make clearances easy. “The remaining forest land could also be sliced into pieces for different developmental works,” he said.
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