BENGALURU: The BMRCL has been permitted to cut 577 trees and translocate 212 of them for its Outer Ring Road corridor between Central Silk Board (CSB) Junction and Kodibeesanahalli Metro Station.
BMRCL had sought clearance to fell 833 trees, but the tree officer and deputy conservator of forests, BBMP, in an official memorandum said that permission to remove 44 trees has been denied and they shall remain at their current location.
V Govindraju, deputy conservator of forests, BBMP, said, “BMRCL submitted an application in June this year requesting to cut 833 trees between Central Silk board junction and Kodibeesanhalli (9.7 kilometres). “The tree office reviewed the application, inspected the trees mentioned and took a call on which of them had to be felled, relocated or retained,” he said.
Further, a Tree Expert Committee (TEC) was formed by the state government as per the directions of the Karnataka high court.
“The committee further inspected the list provided to them by the tree officer and scheduled a field visit in the presence of BMRCL engineers and the tree officer. The engineers explained to the committee where the pillars might come up or where the wires might be laid and then a final decision was taken on which trees had to be retained, felled or relocated,” Govindraju added.
BMRCL has also been informed to carry out work in a manner that the roots of these 44 trees aren’t disturbed.
Meanwhile, BMRCL has made another application to cut 1,026 trees for the ORR line between Kodibessanhalli and KR Puram.
Govinraju confirmed that the location has been identified to relocate 212 trees. “They are going to be shifted to various locations in and around the place from where they will be removed. Some will be going to military land, wetlands of some lakes and other places,” Govindraju added.
The translocation process is likely to begin after a 15-day period allowed for the public to file objections. Once translocation is over, the process of felling 577 trees will begin.
