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BMRCL to spare trees on church land: Activists

They said BMRCL officials agreed to explore alternatives after several rounds of negotiations.
Last Updated 02 May 2022, 22:19 IST

Activists on Monday claimed a victory in their fight to save the sacred grove at the All Saints Church premises from the destruction it stared at due to Namma Metro’s Phase 2 project.

In 2018, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) had acquired 4,582 sqm of the church land. Church members, however, protested the takeover of the land that housed more than 100 heritage trees, which would be destroyed by the work to build a metro station for the Gottigere-Nagawara Line (Reach 6).

Some of the members held protests every Sunday. They said that a school for autistic children, run by the church, would be demolished if the BMRCL goes ahead with its work. Others wrote to the European Investment Bank (EIB), which was financing the project.

They said BMRCL officials agreed to explore alternatives after several rounds of negotiations.

“Against the 4,582 sqm of the sacred grove that was proposed to be acquired, only 166 sqm will be acquired permanently and 218 sqm temporarily. “Only seven trees will be felled or relocated as against 100 heritage trees that would have been destroyed. An agreement to this effect was signed in January 2022,” a release from activists, backed by the Environment Support Group, said.

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(Published 02 May 2022, 19:35 IST)

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