Bengaluru: Tree census held at Indirangar BDA complex

Bengaluru: Though a plan to demolish the BDA complex at Indirangar is yet to be made public, activists have geared to stop the destruction of bio-diversity in the area. On Friday, members of the United Bengaluru along with tree doctor Vijay Nishanth conducted a tree census. 

United Bengaluru Convener Suresh N.R. announced that the census went on for three hours and the process will be completed by next week. “Once BDA puts out the plan, we’ll be able to analyse the number of trees that could go under the axe for the proposed revamping,” he said. 

More than 170 trees are estimated to be cut if the BDA goes ahead with its plans to renovate the complex. 

Last Saturday, a sea of residents descended on the BDA complex to protest against felling of trees and opposed plans to built a bigger shopping complex in the area. The commercial complex will attract more vehicles, and choke the entire area, the protesters said. 

Mr Nishanth said that during the census it was found that majority of the trees are decades old and it would disastrous to denude one of the green spaces in the city. 

“The intention behind the tree census is to make the data available in the public domain, so that people can fight for it whenever they come across a proposal that requires cutting down of trees. I will carry out the tree census in other areas as well,” he said.  

The complex houses peepal, banyan, rain tree and tulip among others.  

He also said that cutting down of over 170 trees requires the consultation with the tree committee.