BENGALURU: The proposed commercial project in the Cantonment Colony in Vasanth Nagar that envisions the axing of 368 old-growth trees invited strong opposition from residents and environmental activists during a public consultation held here on Tuesday.
“There are more than 10,500 petitions against the proposal and we stand firmly together against this,” said Priya Chetty, founder of Heritage Beku.
At the meeting organised by the Railways and forest department, a resident said, “The forest department is supposed to protect our trees. If not, we will take it in our hands and do whatever is necessary to sustain this legacy.”
Railway officials gave a presentation outlining the proposed project’s benefits, citing aspects such as improved traffic management, public convenience and increased revenue. However, their arguments were met with immediate rejection. Many even refused to watch the presentation further. “The foundation of this project will always be based on public concerns and opinions,” the railway officials stressed.
“These trees belong to the city. How can they justify that the revenue earned from cutting them down will go to the government?” said Prabha Dev, a member of Heritage Beku. “Public consultation should begin at the planning stage of any project. In this case, it happened far too late. As citizens, we have a right to be informed,” she added. Swami BLG, Deputy Conservator of Forests, said, “The project came to us at its final stage. We were waiting for feedback and now that the community has voiced its opposition, I assure you that your concerns will be taken into consideration.”