BANGALORE: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd.(BMRCL) is not going berserk with felling all the trees that it is permitted to cut for the Metro Rail works, said BMRCL MD N Sivasailam on Friday.
On the High Court stay on tree felling in Reach IV (KR Road to RV Road Terminal through Lalbagh, Nanda Road), Sivasailam said: “There is no stay now; the stay was only till May 12 as the interim order by the High Court was applicable till then.’’ “The High Court stay on treefelling was over three days back but we have not chopped any trees since then. We already have obtained the necessary permissions from the BBMP to fell trees in the entire reach for metro rail work,’’ he added.
The HC on May 7 had directed the BMRCL not to cut trees from Lalbagh West Gate to Rajalaxmi Kalyana Mandira along the Lakshman Rao Boulevard on Jayanagar 4th Main till further orders. The BMRCL’s plea to allow them to prune the trees was also not considered by the bench. BMRCL had already cut 19 trees, including 18 eucalyptuses, in the area taken over from Lalbagh for metro work by then. The case was then posted for further hearing on May 12, however the HC on Thursday posted the case for hearing on May 19. Now, the BMRCL is only pruning the trees on Nanda Theatre Road for construction of viaduct. No trees in the areas required for construction of stations are being cut.
“The BMRCL has a definite plan for tree-felling. We can cut trees now but are proceeding according to the plan and are using the authority to fell trees responsibly. We will fell trees as and when required,’’ Sivasailam said.