BENGALURU: As the Karnataka High Court prepares to hear the case on Tuesday, environmental activists continue to fight the proposed felling of hundreds of trees at Bangalore Cantonment Railway Colony, saying the loss would be difficult to reverse in a city already struggling to retain its green spaces.
For Parashurame Gowda, general secretary of Parisarakkaagi Naavu, the issue goes beyond the number of trees that may be cut. “If land was required for a Metro line, road, bridge or any other essential infrastructure project, there could be a larger public purpose. But this is a commercial project involving monetisation of railway land,” he said.
The 8.61-acre railway property is proposed to be leased to Bagmane Texworth for 60 years for an IT/BT project. The petitioners have said the Railways expects to raise around Rs 300 crore from the property. They questioned why a green space in the middle of the city should be used for commercial development when such construction could be taken up elsewhere.
The fight over the trees began after the Railway Land Development Authority sought permission to fell 368 trees. The property was subsequently declared a Biodiversity Heritage Site in September 2025, but the notification was withdrawn in December. The petitioners have challenged the withdrawal. “The High Court had also passed an interim order in December 2025, barring damage to the trees,” Gowda added.
The petitioners now point to a Tree Officer’s inspection, which recorded 397 trees at the site. They said permission is given to fell 228 healthy trees and translocate 23 others.
