BENGALURU: Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) has proposed to fell over 900 trees on its campus to create infrastructure facilities for production, testing, storage and upgradation for export manufacturing, including the production of large-scale EVMs. The proposal has been submitted to the tree committee, which directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to issue a paper notification inviting objections.
Bengaluru Biodiversity member Vijay Nishanth, objecting to the move said that the ten-day timeframe for objections is insufficient and that enough time should be given to consider the proposal. “There should be public consultation on the same, as the number of trees to be cut is a huge figure. The primary purpose of the tree committee should be to conserve trees and not merely approve or deny the felling of trees when an application is filed,” said Nishanth and added that the committee has not yet published any report about the planting of tree saplings as a backup, its success rates and the current status.
Dattatreya Davare, Trustee of Bengaluru Environment Trust, opined that a conclusion about the felling of the trees can be drawn only after an inspection by the authorities. BEL may have carried out plantations in the past due to the availability of land. The question here is whether such expansion is required or another location should be preferred, he added.
Officials from the BBMP Forest Division assured that though the time for public objection is only ten days, the department would reach out to the public before taking drastic steps. “The number of trees to be cut is huge and we will find out about the types of trees there. We will hold debates and discussions and public consultations first,” stated BLG Swamy, Deputy Conservator Of Forest and added that objections, suggestions, and comments are invited from citizens under Section 8 (3) (vii) of Karnataka Preservation Of Trees Act 1976.