Bengaluru no longer the city for trees to grow

There is no space to plant saplings on the roadsides in Bengaluru city limits, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) concede. 

Ranganath Swamy, Assistant Conservator of Forests, BBMP Forest Cell, said the existing roads were being constantly used and re-used for infrastructure projects, making trees vulnerable in the city. As a result, saplings can be planted only in “closed spaces” like educational institutions, fenced government premises and clubs. The space in commercial and residential institutions is also limited. Only shrubs can be planted but not trees, he said. 

The BBMP Forest Cell had suggested to the engineering wing to retain or undertake fresh plantation on new Tender SURE roads, but the request was turned down on the grounds that the infrastructure would get disturbed because of underground pipelines and cables. This has led to further reduction in space, said a forest cell official. 

Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Ashok Kumar Singh, said the search for space in city limits was going on for plantation of saplings. 

Mahantesh Murgod, Deputy Director of Horticulture Department, Cubbon Park, too opined that space was a constraint. He said space was limited not only in the city but also in Cubbon Park and Lalbagh. He said the search for space for plantation of native species was going on. 

Noted Environmentalist A N Yellappa Reddy said that despite new developments, the government and urban bodies had not created new lung spaces or earmarked the area for plantation. The existing parks have more shrubs and ornamental species than native species of trees. There is a need for tree parks, he said. 

At a recent meeting of the BDA board, Chief minister Siddaramaiah and Bengaluru Development minister K J George had said that abandoned garbage quarry pits on the outskirts would be turned into tree parks.