BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court has directed the state government and its other urban agencies to constitute a committee of experts to explore the possibilities of saving trees proposed to be felled.
The division bench of Acting Chief Justice L Narayana Swamy and Justice P S Dinesh Kumar passed this interim order while hearing a PIL petition filed by Dattatraya T Devare of Domlur and Bangalore Environment Trust. “The respondents — state government, forest department, Bangalore Urban District Tree Authority, BBMP, BMRCL and BESCOM — are directed to constitute a committee consisting of experts of environment, science, technology and related fields,” the court said.
It also said that the panel should examine whether trees proposed to be felled could be saved by adopting any method. After exhausting all methods, if it is found that it is impossible to save any tree, only then it shall be permissible to cut them, it said. The court also said that it is expected of the panel to give its considered opinion to save the trees.