Cantonment commercial project sparks outrage over plan to cut 368 trees in Bengaluru
BENGALURU: The Commercial Development Project at Cantonment by the Railway Department has courted controversy, as it requires the felling of a staggering 368 trees — including Peepal, Rubber, and Christmas trees — many of which are over a hundred years old.
Amid this development, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Forest Wing has invited objections from the public before granting approval for the project.
Enraged by the proposal, environmental activists have called for the project to be stalled if it involves cutting down trees.
According to an objection notice issued by the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), BBMP Forest Division, the Joint General Manager (Projects/Expert) of the Railway Land Development Authority, Ministry of Railways, Government of India, has submitted an application for the removal of trees located within the Bangalore Cantonment Railway Colony premises in Vasanth Nagar for the 'Commercial Development Project.'
BLG Swamy, the DCF, BBMP Forest Wing, said that the notification was published last Friday. As per the notification, the public has 10 days to submit objections, comments, and suggestions regarding the project.
'Based on public objections to the project, a communication will be made with the Railway Department. If the public is not in favour of cutting trees, the BBMP Forest Department cannot permit the felling of trees,' Swamy said.
Expressing strong resentment, Biodiversity Management Committee member Vijay Nishanth said that whenever governments have attempted to axe trees for unnecessary projects, citizen groups have successfully launched protests to stall them in the past.
'A campaign will be launched under the title 'Save Cantonment Heritage Trees.' Citizens will be encouraged and appealed to lodge their protests by writing to dcfbbmp12@gmail.com, the email account of the BBMP Forest Wing Chief, and to rldabangalore2022@gmail.com, the official email account of the Railway Department,' said Nishanth.
He further criticized the BBMP for even entertaining the proposal. 'The BBMP should have rejected the proposal outright instead of calling for objections, especially when it clearly states that the felling is for a commercial project,' he said.
'The authorities seem to have turned a blind eye and lost their common sense in proposing such a project and seeking public opinion on cutting trees. The city is already grappling with rising heat levels and a shrinking green cover. We will also approach Union Minister of State for Railways, V. Somanna, urging him to announce the scrapping of the project if it requires cutting trees. His actions and decisions will reveal how much concern he truly has for nature and Bengaluru,' Nishanth added.
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