Stop axing trees in Bengaluru
To: BS Shivakumar, Managing Director Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited
1. Immediate stay on cutting of trees
2. Proper and accessible public consultation to be held for all projects
Why is this important?
Legal Case update
On 13th January 2021, the Hon’ble High Court issued Notices to all four respondents --the KRDCL, State of Karnataka, Karnataka Forest Department and MoEF&CC & posted the matter for hearing on Feb 24.
on Feb 24, the respondent for KRDCL requested for time & the matter was posted to March 30
On March 25th, Petitioner No 3 Rajani Santosh filed an affidavit to state that work was being undertaken by KRDCL since the last date of hearing in the ecologically sensitive zone. This includes tree felling, hill cutting, filling up of lands for a bypass road at Krishnadoddi, encroachment of a stream by KRDCL through the construction of a new bridge between Uraganadoddi to Krishnadoddi and the maps of Tiger Corridor abutting the road being widened
On March 30 the Hon'ble High Court considered the affidavit and directed KRDCL to file their response to the main PIL and the affidavit within a week's time.
On April 7, the Hon'ble High Court took cognizance of the response filed by respondent No 1, KRDCL on the above affidavit.
On other issues, the court deemed it fit to hear the main PIL on merits and posted the case for final hearing on June 7 2021.
UPDATE
1. On 5 February 2020, Fridays for future along with citizens of Bangalore participated created a Human Chain to protest against the cutting of trees.
2. On 6 February Some citizens met Deputy conservator of forest and asked him to intervene but DCF suggested that tree authority can only send recommendations and are under a lot of pressure to pass the order for clearing of trees.
3. On 14 February Children protested in their school and outside on Sarjapur road to talk about the felling of trees in the green heart campaign.
4. February about 35 citizens from Bangalore visited KRDCL office to deliver petition and talk to MD about the project. MD denied the need for EIA or public consultation for any road widening project. Over 30 RTI were filled by citizens on 14 February regarding the project.
5. Citizens did not receive any updates on the RTIs even after the one month of filing RTIs.
6. KRDCL has issued orders to fell the trees in Anekal Taluk as part of the project. The process would start on 8 July.
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Bengaluru, our green cover is under threat once again.
8561 trees are proposed to be cut for a road-widening project, in order to decongest the tech corridor. Existing two-lane and four-lane roads will be converted into four-lane and six-lane ones on the stretch between Bannerghatta, Sarjapur, Mandur, Anekal and Whitefield. Some of these trees are over 80 years old and include peepal, banyan, tamarind and other species.
In just the past couple of years, air pollution has risen drastically in Bengaluru, with construction dust, garbage burning and the rise in private vehicles leading to more emissions. In the midst of this, the city's old trees are a natural buffer and their loss for development projects will lead to worsening impact of climate change, not to mention the health effects of air pollution.
This is what the project looks like in a nut-shell.
- 4 Projects
- Estimate 2000 + crore
- Cost per km - 8.44 crore
- Numbers of trees to be cut - 8561(according to official number, actual numbers may be higher)
- Lack of Transparency - No Detailed Project Report - Available in public domain
-- Number of public consultation done on the project - zero
-- Public consultation about tree cutting -
-- On December 24, members of trees authority came unprepared to answer citizen questions.
-- On 20 Jan 2020, order issued that jurisdiction of trees outside BBMP does not fall under Tree committee!
Bangalore has always been known as the Garden City. However, rampant development due to unplanned real estate and road widening projects, we are on the path to losing that tag. We are moving backwards, destroying our green cover for a concrete jungle even as other countries realise the true meaning of development without sidelining the environment. We cannot let this happen.
Sign this petition now.
To: BS Shivakumar, Managing Director Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited
1. Immediate stay on cutting of trees
2. Proper and accessible public consultation to be held for all projects
Why is this important?
Legal Case update
On 13th January 2021, the Hon’ble High Court issued Notices to all four respondents --the KRDCL, State of Karnataka, Karnataka Forest Department and MoEF&CC & posted the matter for hearing on Feb 24.
on Feb 24, the respondent for KRDCL requested for time & the matter was posted to March 30
On March 25th, Petitioner No 3 Rajani Santosh filed an affidavit to state that work was being undertaken by KRDCL since the last date of hearing in the ecologically sensitive zone. This includes tree felling, hill cutting, filling up of lands for a bypass road at Krishnadoddi, encroachment of a stream by KRDCL through the construction of a new bridge between Uraganadoddi to Krishnadoddi and the maps of Tiger Corridor abutting the road being widened
On March 30 the Hon'ble High Court considered the affidavit and directed KRDCL to file their response to the main PIL and the affidavit within a week's time.
On April 7, the Hon'ble High Court took cognizance of the response filed by respondent No 1, KRDCL on the above affidavit.
On other issues, the court deemed it fit to hear the main PIL on merits and posted the case for final hearing on June 7 2021.
UPDATE
1. On 5 February 2020, Fridays for future along with citizens of Bangalore participated created a Human Chain to protest against the cutting of trees.
2. On 6 February Some citizens met Deputy conservator of forest and asked him to intervene but DCF suggested that tree authority can only send recommendations and are under a lot of pressure to pass the order for clearing of trees.
3. On 14 February Children protested in their school and outside on Sarjapur road to talk about the felling of trees in the green heart campaign.
4. February about 35 citizens from Bangalore visited KRDCL office to deliver petition and talk to MD about the project. MD denied the need for EIA or public consultation for any road widening project. Over 30 RTI were filled by citizens on 14 February regarding the project.
5. Citizens did not receive any updates on the RTIs even after the one month of filing RTIs.
6. KRDCL has issued orders to fell the trees in Anekal Taluk as part of the project. The process would start on 8 July.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bengaluru, our green cover is under threat once again.
8561 trees are proposed to be cut for a road-widening project, in order to decongest the tech corridor. Existing two-lane and four-lane roads will be converted into four-lane and six-lane ones on the stretch between Bannerghatta, Sarjapur, Mandur, Anekal and Whitefield. Some of these trees are over 80 years old and include peepal, banyan, tamarind and other species.
In just the past couple of years, air pollution has risen drastically in Bengaluru, with construction dust, garbage burning and the rise in private vehicles leading to more emissions. In the midst of this, the city's old trees are a natural buffer and their loss for development projects will lead to worsening impact of climate change, not to mention the health effects of air pollution.
This is what the project looks like in a nut-shell.
- 4 Projects
- Estimate 2000 + crore
- Cost per km - 8.44 crore
- Numbers of trees to be cut - 8561(according to official number, actual numbers may be higher)
- Lack of Transparency - No Detailed Project Report - Available in public domain
-- Number of public consultation done on the project - zero
-- Public consultation about tree cutting -
-- On December 24, members of trees authority came unprepared to answer citizen questions.
-- On 20 Jan 2020, order issued that jurisdiction of trees outside BBMP does not fall under Tree committee!
Bangalore has always been known as the Garden City. However, rampant development due to unplanned real estate and road widening projects, we are on the path to losing that tag. We are moving backwards, destroying our green cover for a concrete jungle even as other countries realise the true meaning of development without sidelining the environment. We cannot let this happen.
Sign this petition now.