HC permits BMRCL to axe 21 trees to expand rail lines

The court directed the UAS to submit a report with regard to the compensatory plantation within four weeks

The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday permitted the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited to remove 21 trees at construction sites of two stretches of the Namma Metro project.

A division bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe said the permission granted is subject to a condition that the BMRCL will implement the recommendation of the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) on the compensatory plantation.

The tree officer of the Bengaluru Urban district had passed an order on June 10, 2022, for the removal of 14 trees between the Silk Board signal and the Kadubeesanahalli Junction.

Another order was passed on March 3, 2022, to fell seven trees for the construction of the underground metro (Reach 6) along Vellara Junction-Rashtriya Military School.

The BMRCL had moved Interlocutory Applications (IAs) seeking the high court’s permission for the removal of trees. The court allowed the IAs and also directed the UAS to submit a report with regard to the compensatory plantation within four weeks.

The court has also directed the tree officer of the BBMP to upload the quarterly reports submitted to it by the BMRCL with regard to the compensatory plantation/translocation carried out so far.

Meanwhile, the court has directed the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) to implement the recommendation of UAS with regard to the compensatory plantation of 2,639 trees of different species as per the report within six weeks’ time.

Senior counsel representing KRDCL informed the court that 91 trees have been removed at various places for road projects in terms of the permission granted by the high court on December 23, 2021.

The UAS had recommended compensatory plantation in lieu of removal of trees for the road project.