Image Source: The Hindu
Bengaluru: The unauthorized felling of trees to allow hoardings more visibility has become a problem in urban Bengaluru. Many residents have reported such incidents and the most recent one that occurred on May 9 was the last straw. Scores of residents took to the streets to protest the illegal felling of trees along the Outer Ring Road in Bellandur on May 19.
The residents have stated that there were as many as four such incidents where trees were illegally cut down, the recent one being on May 9 where 24 trees were felled overnight to allow more visibility for the hoarding of a private real estate developer.
Jayanta Tewari, a member of the Sun City Residents’ Welfare Association, Iblur said that the trees that were illegally felled, were planted over the last four years, many of them being about 12 feet high.
An official said that the hoarding was taken down after the residents filed a complaint and an FIR was filed against the person responsible for putting it up but, residents said that the hoarding was back on May 18.
A resident, during the protest on Saturday told his fellow protesters to be more vigilant as illegal felling of trees was done under the cover of night.
The protest was partaken by residents of Iblur, HSR Layout, Whitefield, Cox Town, Hebbal and J.P. Nagar.
