BEML campus in Mysuru to clear 137 trees to improve occupational health services

Following an application from BEML for permit to clear these trees, forest department officials have issued public notification and invited responses/objections if any, from the general public, to be submitted before May 25, 5.30 pm.

Mysuru: Even as 137 trees of different species have been earmarked to be cleared to build an Occupational Health Center at BEML campus in Mysuru, a team of environmentalists visited the spot. They interacted with officials to explore if atleast 20 to 40 trees could be saved and if some could be translocated.

Following an application from BEML for permit to clear these trees, as per the Karnataka Tree Protection Act 1976 (amended act 2014) section 8 (3) VII, the Forest department officials have issued public notification and invited responses/objections if any, from the general public, to be submitted before May 25, 5.30 pm. They have earmarked 47 Teak wood trees (Tega), 13 Acacia, 10 Mahogany, 50 wild trees, nine Peltaphorum trees, six Silver trees, one each Orchid tree, Indian Beech tree (Honge) to be cleared.

Officials of BEML including General Manager Sudhakar Shave, Chief Medical Officer Dr Milcha Maria Valentine informed that, the BEML, Mysuru Complex spread over 450 acres campus, a Scheduled ‘A’ listed company under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India established in 1986 provides services to key sectors of India like Defence, Railways, Power, Mining and Infrastructure. The Occupational Health Center (OHC) is one of the major requirements as per the Karnataka Factories Rules and also as per ISO 45001 occupational health and safety certification requirement.

Even as there are 1890 employees including contract workers and trainees, the existing OHC is a small one spread over 15 ft x30 ft. Therefore they have proposed to construct a new full-fledged OHC spread over 81ft x 32 ft in order to improve occupational health services and emergency care. They have planned the building close to the KRS main road and main gate to provide first aid at OHC and enable easy access to the main road to swiftly shift patients to bigger hospitals for higher treatment in case of any emergency. It even provides access to the public too in case of road accidents nearby. Also other spots in the campus were inconvenient due to leopard scare.

They have identified these 137 trees which obstruct the planned OHC construction. They claimed that they have maintained nearly 50% of green cover in the campus. They recently planted more than 3000 saplings and 100 coconut trees to contribute for environmental sustainability, the officials claimed.

Members of Parisarakkaagi Naavu led by Parashuramegowda, Ravi Bale, Vishwanath, Bhanu Prashanth, Sudhir Ganapathi visited the spot on Saturday morning.

Parashuramegowda said that they have decided not to oppose the project. Besides appeal to save maximum trees, and for translocation of as many trees as possible, they have urged the officials to maintain biodiversity, while planting 10 saplings to replace one cleared tree.

Following an application from Assistant General Manager of BEML, the officials of the Forest department have conducted the spot mahazar and have prepared the list of trees. People can drop their written responses in the box placed at the office of RFO Mysuru range or write to Tree officer, RFO, Mysuru range, Mysuru territorial division, Aranya Bhavan, Ashokapuram, Mysuru-570028 or mail to [e-mail].