Axing trees: MGP has some advise to MCC

Forest department is shirking its responsibility

According to Mysore Grahakara Parishat, the content of the objections as published in the media stating that ‘in case of no objections, it will be deemed as acceptance and the department will go ahead with axing of trees’ is highly objectionable.

A release from MGP says, according to the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, 1976, it is the foremost responsibility of the forest department to preserve trees and give permission for cutting only when there are overwhelming reasons.

Permitting MCC to fell the trees without any application of mind and waiting for public objections to reconsider the decision is a blatant shirking of its responsibility. It is clear that the makers of the law recognized that there is tremendous pressure to cut roadside trees in the name of development.

Coming to MCC's proposal, MGP has some objections and suggestions about alternatives which may satisfy MCC's needs, but without cutting trees, as follows.

The MCC should not have taken up the widening of the roads without prior consideration of the fate of roadside trees. The big Peltophorum tree in front of Karanji tank abutting the newly constructed bridge should be retained, as it is not interfering with the movement of traffic. 

The trees on Vihara Marga can be retained even after widening the western side of the road, as there is no movement of pedestrians and no pressure of parking of vehicles or residential houses.

On Mirza Road from Hardinge Circle, trees are marked for cutting only on the side of Kuppanna park.

The road can be widened filling the earth up to the edge of the park and the widened part of the road reserved for 2-wheelers. This will save all the trees and the road being one-way, there will be no traffic congestion.