BENGALURU: To ensure that the green cover in Whitefield is not lost completely due to ongoing Metro link works between Baiyapannahalli and Whitefield, the high court-appointed Tree Committee members have started making efforts to save at least 115 trees on the Hope Farm Road. Hundreds of young and mature trees have been axed for the Metro project.
Shri Satya Sai General Hospital at the Whitefield-Hope Farm Junction has come forward to provide space for the transplanted trees on their premises.Tree Committee members Vijay Nishanth and Akshay Heblikar along with a dedicated band of volunteers on Thursday started marking the trees which are fit and healthy to be relocated.
On this 4-5 kilometre stretch, the identified tree species include Behandi, Honge, Badami, Ficus, Singapore Cherry, etc. Most of them are healthy, with their height ranging between 12 and 16 feet. “It will take almost a week for the transplantation work and men and machinery have been provided by the BMRCL itself,” inform volunteers.
“Hundreds of trees were axed without any notice and local residents and the IT crowd have shown no interest to save the precious green cover. We requested Metro authorities to help us relocate hundreds of trees on the stretch between Vydehi and Sai Baba Hospital and they agreed. They have provided us earth movers and manpower, and we hope to finish the work within a week. Earlier, we had transplanted trees on Sarjapur Road and they are thriving even today,” said Vijay Nishanth.
Akshay Heblikar of Eco Watch added, “We will do whatever we can. If we can save 115 out of 250 trees, it will be good as the lung space in Whitefield is disappearing fast. Each tree takes almost 15-16 years to grow to a height of 16-20 feet.”
In the sprawling campus of Shri Satya Sai Baba General Hospital, 100 trees will be transplanted in one big space while the rest will be accommodated at different spaces identified by the hospital authorities. The transplantation work will involve centering, fitting, treatment, relocation with care and regular watering.
“Be it Metro or road widening project, every development work takes a toll on green cover. Public hearing should be done before the project takes off, and not when it is approved,” said BBMP Tree Officer and ACF Shanth Kumar.