GBA allows felling of 138 trees at BU’s Jnanabharathi campus; nearly 2,000 objections received

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has granted support to chopped down 138 trees, translocate 54, and clasp 228 trees on-site for the operation of caller Academic and Research Blocks astatine Bangalore University’s Jnanabharathi field successful Nagarabhavi. 

The bid was issued by the Tree Officer and Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF), GBA, connected October 4 and the clearance follows a elaborate tract inspection and aggregate rounds of method valuation by the Tree Expert Committee (TEC), which assessed each 420 trees lasting connected the projected task site, the bid stated. 

The Bangalore University had applied for histrion removal support nether the Pradhan Mantri Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (PM-USHA) strategy to conception state-of-the-art world and probe facilities. The caller analyzable volition location 12 caller undergraduate, postgraduate, and diploma courses successful fields specified arsenic STEM, Commerce–Law, and Fintech, benefiting astir 1,600 students and 2,000 teachers moving successful 300 affiliated colleges. 

The university, established successful 1964, stated that astir existing buildings are implicit 40 years aged and deficiency abstraction oregon structural spot to enactment expansion. It argued that the caller facilities are captious to summation the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) and fortify higher acquisition access.

Nearly 2,000 objections

The Tree Officer, the bid stated, reported receiving 1,928 objections and suggestions from citizens, environmentalists, and field users. 

Many objectors opposed the large-scale felling, informing that Jnanabharathi acts arsenic a biodiversity hotspot and is 1 of Bengaluru’s past remaining greenish lungs. They cited the beingness of implicit 160 taxon of birds, 170 taxon of butterflies, and galore insects and plants connected campus, informing that histrion nonaccomplishment would pb to situation demolition and section ecological imbalance. 

Several objectors besides questioned the ineligible presumption of the land, asking whether it was wood onshore and if owed de-notification procedures were followed. Others called for the preservation of practice trees and demanded that the task plan beryllium revised to integrate existing earthy assets.  

University stance

Responding to these objections, the assemblage clarified that the onshore successful Survey No. 6 of Nagarbhavi Village was handed implicit by the Forest Department successful 1965 and de-notified successful 1969 done a authorities notification. The Karnataka Biodiversity Board besides confirmed that determination is nary connection to state the Jnanabharathi field a Biodiversity Heritage Site. 

The assemblage maintained that nary practice oregon century-old trees basal astatine the projected tract and that it has planted 5 lakh saplings of implicit 300 taxon wrong the field since 1998. Officials said afforestation, bio-fencing, cheque dams, and rainwater harvesting are ongoing measures to prolong the field ecology.