1,200 additional trees to be chopped for rail projects in Bengaluru

According to the state public works department, more than a lakh trees were felled in Karnataka between 2018 and 2021 for the construction of roads and highways. (PWD). In Bengaluru, 1,200 more trees will shortly be cut down for the suburban rail project. 11,078 trees were chopped to build the new Bengaluru-Mysuru highway (NH 275). 1,253 trees were cut down in 2019 for Namma Metro Phase 2 from RV Road to Bommasandra. With orders being passed in favour of the rail infrastructure development project, Bengaluru is expected to lose more trees this year. The Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) (KRIDE) received approval in February to remove 1,234 trees from the area between Lottegollahalli and Baiyappanahalli. The South Western Railway received approval to take down 141 trees in January in order to build a 216-metre-wide concourse, a mall, and separate entry and exit points at the Yeshwantpur railway station. KRIDE already has authorization to remove 698 trees and relocate 38 more in March for the Yeshwanthpur-Channasandra train doubling project. For the Corridor-2 project, which spans 25 km from Baiyappanahalli to Chikkabanavara, KRIDE has apparently been granted permission to take down 1,200 trees. Also read: Rail projects worth Rs 33.6k cr approved for MMRJiribam-Imphal new line railway project completes 93% of work