Greening Bengaluru: A project lost in plantation drives

Eight years after the Karnataka High Court expressed concerns over the absence of “any concrete data” about survival of 8.5 lakh trees planted during 2007-08 to 2010-11, protecting the greenery of Bengaluru continues to be a challenge as linear developments like metro and road constructions continue to claim thousands of trees.

The court took up a suo motu case in 2011 based on a letter by Justice D V Shylendra and disposed the matter in 2014 after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) promised to set up a two-tier committee to ensure planting of saplings and their survival.

However, the court’s judgment that felling of trees should be an exceptional step after “all alternatives have been satisfied” was forgotten. The BBMP also failed to introduce a web-based system where all the applications for tree felling and the decisions taken thereon would be made available to the public in a transparent manner.

In 2019, when activist Dattatraya Devare moved the court to highlight the large-scale felling of trees for the metro project, the idea of protecting the trees had come full circle. The case still succeeded in ensuring the functioning of a tree expert committee as well as the web-based system.

Ever since metro projects came under lens, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has removed 4,067 trees for Phase 2 of Namma Metro (74 km) of which 817 were marked for translocation. Of the 2,115 trees sought to be cleared for Phase 2A (Silk Board-KR Puram) line, 780 are marked for translocation and 71 are being retained. Of the total 6,182 trees making way for these two projects, only 25.83% (1597) have been identified for translocation.

“We have carried out translocation of about 350 trees. There is no data on the survival of trees at present. As the matter is subjudice, we can’t provide more information,” a senior official in the BMRCL told DH, adding that they have sought to clear 2,659 trees for Phase 2B (Kasturinagar-Kempegowda International Airport) line.

As compensatory afforestation for Phase 2, the BMRCL has completed the planting of 15,845 saplings out of the target of 17,540. However, officials could not provide any data on survival.

Forest officials said while the focus on big players such as the BMRCL is welcome, two key issues have been forgotten. “First, there is no system to track and ensure survival of lakhs of saplings planted by the BBMP and other authorities every year. Secondly, the killing of trees in small numbers goes on unchecked across the city,” a senior official said.

The rebirth of the Tree Expert Committee (TEC) in 2019 has brought additional work to the BBMP forest cell. It has also exposed lack of technical skills and limited knowledge on conservation. The BBMP had approved the transplantation of 58 trees by the BMRCL. To a question, an official said that 50 of them have dried up and the other eight have recently developed sprouts. “We are not sure how many of them will survive.”

Govindaraju V, Deputy Conservator of Forests (BBMP) said the BBMP itself translocated 82 trees with officials claiming a survival rate of 99%. “Sixteen trees marked for the flyover work at Shivananda Circle, have been translocated. Another 66 trees were transplanted for the underpass project taken up at Ullal junction. Most of these translocated trees have grown well except for one of them,” he said.

He said the BBMP has approved transplanting another 600 trees. “This time, we have made sure that younger trees are selected to ensure a better survival rate. We have also educated them on the procedures to be followed,” Govindaraju said.

A senior official said it costs Rs 25,000 to Rs 33,000 to transplant a tree, depending on its girth and age. “Those transplanting the trees also have to maintain them for three years. We only clear 80% of the bill during planting, the remaining is cleared based on the survival,” he said.

The BBMP’s greening projects have not given much confidence to higher ups. A senior official said a detailed audit, including spot inspection, should be taken up to verify the claims of plantations and transplantation made by the BBMP for the past 10 years. “Crores of rupees of taxpayer money has been spent. The minimum result we expect is clean air,” an official noted.

Check out latest DH videos here