Tree felling for Bengaluru metro: 'Public consultation reduced to confusion'

The idea of citizen's involvement in environmental impact assessment of metro projects has been drowned in the confusion created by the officials which are defeating the efforts to bring transparency in the process, civil society members said.

Between April 30 and July 28, the BBMP's forest Cell and the Karnataka Forest Department have together issued and notified eight different proposals for tree clearances to two key metro projects: Silk Board-KR Puram (Phase 2A) and Kasturi Nagar -- Kempegowda International Airport (Phase 2B).

A BBMP official sought to attribute the multiple notices to the different jurisdictions. "The roadside trees are notified by the BBMP wing and the trees on private land being acquired to build track, station or depot infrastructure are notified by the forest department," he said.

He, however, admitted that the lack of an overview of the project makes it difficult to arrive at an opinion, especially for the public.

"It is left to the metro authorities to look into the issue," he added.

Many activists, including Dattatraya T Devare, have petitioned against piecemeal proposals for tree clearing by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) earlier. However, authorities have been citing technicalities and changes in the project for the multiple notices.

Rajani Santosh of Growthwatch has written to BMRCL, BBMP and the Forest Department questioning the "worrying pattern" of splitting metro projects.

"It seems to us that there is really no intent to receive any meaningful communication from anyone," she said, adding that the notifications merely put up a show of due procedure being followed.

She said authorities should restart public hearings for metro projects instead of consulting via written communication.

"A notice in a newspaper, asking for suggestions through email and post is only meant for people who can read and write. How will it cater to the street vendors and other locals who cannot read and write? How is this justice to the local poor? The ones who stand under the trees for shade while waiting for a bus or their shared auto..." she asked.