India: Road Widening continues without permission from the Empowered Committee

Speaking on the occasion, Kathyayini Chamaraj, executive trustee of
CIVIC, Bangalore, who is also one of the petitioners in the court,
said that BBMP was felling trees on the road, despite the absence of
permission from the Empowered Committee on Bangalore Roads,
constituted by the HC following their petition.

“A proposal to widen
Sheshadri Road was placed before the committee on December 10 for
clearance. Permission was sought to fell the trees. Nothing could be
decided as discussions were yet to be completed. Inspite of this, BBMP
and forest officials have gone ahead felling the trees,” said
Kathyayini.”BBMP felling the avenue trees is an illegal act and clear
contempt of directions of the HC of Karnataka,” she asserted. Though
there were alternatives to tree-felling like retaining the tree line
and creating a separate bicycle or two-wheeler lane on either side of
the road, the authorities did not give the NGOs a chance to explain
the alternatives at a meeting chaired by Yellappa Reddy, she added. Of
the five members present at the meeting, three supported the
tree-felling plan. “Inspite of the protests by two members, Yellappa
Reddy came to the conclusion that tree-felling could be allowed.
However, no order was issued by the chairman. Also, the minutes of the
meeting had not yet been formulated and approved by the committee,”
she explained. The committee members who favoured tree-felling said
that it was inevitable on this stretch of road to accommodate the
increasing traffic, Kathyayini recalled. There are about 300 trees on
this stretch of road and the authorities have started chopping them.
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