BENGALURU: At a time when the state is facing a health emergency, the state government has quietly invited suggestions for the felling of 3,368 trees on NH-206 between Takikere and Umblebailu in Bhadravati forest division. Activists want the government to stop taking up projects without conducting Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies or ascertaining the need.
With Shivamogga city having lost all its tree cover for the Ring Road project and Tirthahalli-Agumbe road widening, now it is the turn of Bhadravati forest division to lose 3,386 trees comprising both native and fruit species. Most of these trees are more than 100 years old and host a wide variety of birds, mammals and other species.
Trees spread across 166-km stretch on NH-206 (Tumakuru-Shivamogga road) and those in the plain lands of Tarikere, Lakkavalli, Bhadravathi and Umblebailu range are facing the threat. On March 11, the DCF of Bhadravathi division called in suggestions from the public and said this has to be filed within 15 days.
Environmental groups, citizens and activists have filed their objections to felling of 3,386 trees. S H Sahadev of United Conservation Movement says, “The state government is completely indifferent to the fact the state is drought-prone with 157 taluks declared as drought-hit in 2018 and 2019. Every year, Karnataka suffers from severe water crisis while NH authorities have taken up a road widening project all along the verdant regions of Malenadu. This will result in complete destruction of tree cover.”
Objecting to the four-lane road project, activists say it is totally unnecessary and unwarranted. They add, “There is not much traffic on Bengaluru–Shivamogga highway. Accidents are happening here due to bad road conditions and not to the volume of traffic which is very low. Potholes, unscientific curves, negligent driving, over speeding and traffic violations have resulted in high number of accidents.” “Losing such a huge number of trees will lead to increased man-animal conflicts,” they add. The stretch between Bengaluru and Shivamogga is a very scanty rainfall area and has very less vegetation. These regions are the starting point for Western Ghats so it’s important to retain this massive tree cover.
