Over 70 tree species among 1,128 marked for felling for Hebbal tu

The Greater Bengaluru Authority has not published the tree and location details it said were uploaded for public objections, even as documents show 1,128 trees across a 2.2-km stretch are scheduled to be felled for Bengaluru’s Hebbal short tunnel project.

More than 70 species in the felling list

More than 70 tree species are part of the 1,128 trees identified within the project stretch, pointing to a significant loss of urban biodiversity if the felling goes ahead.

Experts have warned that removing such a large number of trees could substantially affect the local microclimate and trigger a rise in temperature.

According to Greater Bengaluru Authority documents accessed by The Hindu, the species list includes Indian Kino, Big-leaf Mahogany, Beleric Myrobalan, Indian Jujube, Maple-leafed Bayur Tree, Paper Mulberry and Yellow Tabebuia, among others.

The number of species could be higher because the GBA has not yet uploaded the filtered list for the public to review and file objections.

The initial number of trees proposed for felling was 1,400, but GBA officials said a few hundred were decided to be retained because they were not in the tunnel’s alignment.

The revised number still leaves more than 1,000 trees marked for removal along the 2.2-km project stretch.

Experts warn of heat and habitat loss

R. Ganesan, Adjunct Fellow at ATREE, said the presence of such a large number of species within a 2-km stretch is not very common in an urban landscape, although it is not unusual.

“In a forest setup, it is common to have a large number of species in a small area, but in a metropolitan area like Bengaluru, it highlights years of green space retention,” he said.

Mr. Ganesan said the Hebbal area has already seen massive environmental destruction in the past few years and that the latest move would directly affect temperature.

A.N. Yellappa Reddy, former forest secretary, said felling more than 1,000 trees would destroy several habitats and oxygen banks, apart from affecting underground water levels.

“With such a massive destruction within a small area, the temperature will go up by at least two degrees and create heat islands, and that doesn’t mean that heat will go up in only that area,” he said.

“As a ripple effect, the temperature in another 2-km radius will go up,” he explained.

Mr. Reddy said birds and other animals such as squirrels and garden lizards would move away.

He also said quality of life would be affected because temperature would take a hit.

“With such a plethora of tree species, there will be multiple ecosystems and habitats that will also be destroyed,” he added.

Public notice questioned after list remains unavailable

On September 20, the GBA issued a public notice inviting objections to the felling of trees and stated that details of the trees and their locations had been uploaded on the GBA website.

Three days later, however, the list had not been published.

Dattatraya Devare, an environmental activist, alleged that the GBA was handling the objection-inviting process negligently.

“If they don’t upload the details, how can we specify our objections, and if it’s not specific, then the objection will be junked,” he stated.

“They should re-issue the public notice after publishing the list and then re-invite objections,” he stated.

Several other citizen groups have also raised the issue and demanded the immediate uploading of the details.

The absence of the filtered list matters because the public objection process depends on people being able to examine the specific trees and locations proposed for felling.

Without those details, objections may not be specific enough, according to Mr. Devare’s allegation.

Petition crosses 20,000 signatures

A petition opposing the proposed Hebbal Short Tunnel project has crossed 20,000 signatures.

Citizens backing the petition are seeking an immediate pause to the project and independent assessments of its environmental, hydrological, traffic and safety impacts.

The petition was launched on Change.org on August 3.

It seeks to “Save Bengaluru’s Green-Blue Landscape” and raises concerns over the proposed ₹1,140-crore, 2.2-km cut-and-cover tunnel.

The tunnel will likely pass through areas including the Hebbal lake buffer, Hebbal Tree Park, Veterinary College campus and UAS staff quarters.

The concerns over biodiversity, heat, habitats, water levels and public disclosure have together sharpened scrutiny of the proposed Hebbal Short Tunnel project.

The project has drawn attention not only because of the number of trees marked for felling, but also because those trees include more than 70 species within a short urban stretch.

For experts and citizen groups, the pending publication of the detailed list is central to any meaningful objection process before the felling decision moves forward.

Source: The Hindu