UPDATE 1. We will deliver the petition to KRDCL authorities on 14 February 2. On 5 February 2020, Fridays for future along with citizens of Bangalore participated created a Human Chain to protest against the cutting of trees. Bengaluru, our green cover is under threat once again. 8561 trees are proposed to be cut for a road-widening project, in order to decongest the tech corridor. Existing two-lane and four-lane roads will be converted into four-lane and six-lane ones on the stretch between Bannerghatta, Sarjapur, Mandur, Anekal and Whitefield. Some of these trees are over 80 years old and include peepal, banyan, tamarind and other species. In just the past couple of years, air pollution has risen drastically in Bengaluru, with construction dust, garbage burning and the rise in private vehicles leading to more emissions. In the midst of this, the city's old trees are a natural buffer and their loss for development projects will lead to worsening impact of climate change, not to mention the health effects of air pollution. This is what the project looks like in a nut-shell. - 4 Projects - Estimate 2000 + crore - Cost per km - 8.44 crore - Numbers of trees to be cut - 8561(according to official number, actual numbers may be higher) - Lack of Transparency - No Detailed Project Report - Available in public domain -- Number of public consultation done on the project - zero -- Public consultation about tree cutting - -- On December 24, members of trees authority came unprepared to answer citizen questions. -- On 20 Jan 2020, order issued that jurisdiction of trees outside BBMP does not fall under Tree committee! Bangalore has always been known as the Garden City. However, rampant development due to unplanned real estate and road widening projects, we are on the path to losing that tag. We are moving backwards, destroying our green cover for a concrete jungle even as other countries realise the true meaning of development without sidelining the environment. We cannot let this happen. Sign this petition now. Reference https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/krdcl-proposes-to-fell-8561-trees-on-citys-outskirts/articleshow/73502165.cms

Bengaluru trees are under threat! Once again, BBMP has floated tenders to cut close to 500 trees on Jayamahal-Bellari road. BBMP is determined to launch the project again after a five-year delay due to transfer of rights of the land(1). Citizens and activists have been asking for a tree census for years now and yet it has not been conducted citing bureaucratic hurdles. The road widening project will also pave way for the ill-conceived elevated corridor project as the road is being widened to bring in a standard width for the median to support the elevated corridor project. In fact, in 2016 more than 8000 people formed a human chain to protect the future of these trees(2). Time and again citizens of Bengaluru have told the government that elevated corridor cutting through the city’s green heritage is not the solution to the traffic woes. Instead, the government should focus on developing a holistic public transport system. More importantly, there has been no public consultation regarding the project which is in direct contradiction to environmental laws of the country. Sign this urgent campaign demanding that the BBMP hold a public consultation before passing such arbitrary laws. 1. https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/civic/greenocide-to-start-in-february-in-bengaluru/articleshow/73146530.cms 2. https://www.deccanherald.com/city/bengaluru-infrastructure/jayamahal-road-widening-to-claim-100-trees-770701.html