The High Court of Karnataka on Tuesday directed the Tree Officer of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike to make available, through the website, the quarterly reports submitted by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd. (BMRCL), about translocation of trees and compensatory plantation scheme implemented for removing trees for the metro project.
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A Division Bench, comprising acting Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice J.M. Khazi, issued the direction during the hearing of a PIL related to non-implementation of the provisions of the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, 1976.
‘Plant 2,639 saplings’
Meanwhile, the Bench directed Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd. (KRDCL) to implement compensatory plantation scheme to plant 2,693 saplings as recommended by the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bengaluru to compensate felling of 91 huge trees for a road development project. The compensatory plantation scheme has to be completed within six weeks, the Bench said.
Also, the Bench permitted BMRCL to execute the permission granted by the Tree Officer to fell 14 trees for the metro project between the Silk Board signal and the Kadubeesanahalili junction, and seven trees at the Vellara junction and the Rashtriya Military School locality.
The Bench said that BMRCL has to implement compensatory plantation scheme to be recommended by the UAS, Bengaluru, in lieu of felling trees.