Citizens protest axing of trees on Bannerghatta Road

BENGALURU: Saturday saw 50 residents of

Bannerghatta Road

protest

Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation

's (BMRC) plan to cut trees to make way for Namma Metro phase 2. As many as 245 trees between

Jayadeva Hospital Junction

and Dairy Circle have been marked for felling.

According to BMRC's environmental impact assessment report on the

Gottigere-Nagavara

line (Metro corridor under phase 2) , 690 trees will have to be axed on the 18-km stretch, though only 7 km of the line is elevated and the rest is underground. The stretch between Jayadeva Hospital and Dairy Circle will see construction of a ramp where the Metro goes underground towards Nagavara. From Gottigere to Dairy Circle, 438 trees will have to go.

Arun Prasad, a resident of Wilson Garden, said: "We cannot afford to lose so many trees for the project. This is the only lung space in this part of the city. BMRC had constructed underground Metro in phase 1 between Chinnaswamy Stadium and

Cubbon Park

and even on Magadi Road without disturbing the green cover much. We are not against Metro, but whatever the government does should be environmentally feasible."

The residents plan to approach the BBMP forest cell on Monday and want the BMRC to opt for translocation of trees wherever possible. In the assessment report, the company has stated that 65 out of 125 trees to be cut in the

Kothanur

depot can be translocated to a nearby park at a cost Rs 2 lakh.

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