Environmental damage in Bengaluru
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Sir,
The Bengaluru peripheral ring road project, which has been under scrutiny for over 16 years for the environmental damage it may cause, is back in the news. The Bangalore Development Authority has issued new tenders for the road's construction, despite the lack of an environmental clearance. Over 34,000 trees are at risk of being cut down. The project is expected to have an impact on Jarakabande Kaval forest land, eight water bodies and another 28 acres of forest land. Furthermore, the project plan has undergone numerous changes, and the extent of the damage it will cause is unknown because a DPR and a new environmental impact assessment have not been published or conducted, respectively.
Using an incorrect environmental impact assessment, the Bengaluru Development Authority claimed that only 300 jobs would be lost. The NGT rejected the report based on the Horticulture and Forest Department's submission that approximately 15,000 trees needed to be felled. As a result, Bengaluru's biodiversity and ecology are threatened!
The mismanagement of the peripheral ring road project endangers birds, animals, trees, water bodies, and farmers’ livelihoods. As a result, the parties involved should publish the detailed project report for everyone to comment on, as well as conduct a new environmental impact assessment as soon as possible.
Yours faithfully,
Vijaykumar HK, Environmentalist Raichur, Karnataka
The Bengaluru peripheral ring road project, which has been under scrutiny for over 16 years for the environmental damage it may cause, is back in the news. The Bangalore Development Authority has issued new tenders for the road's construction, despite the lack of an environmental clearance. Over 34,000 trees are at risk of being cut down. The project is expected to have an impact on Jarakabande Kaval forest land, eight water bodies and another 28 acres of forest land. Furthermore, the project plan has undergone numerous changes, and the extent of the damage it will cause is unknown because a DPR and a new environmental impact assessment have not been published or conducted, respectively.
Using an incorrect environmental impact assessment, the Bengaluru Development Authority claimed that only 300 jobs would be lost. The NGT rejected the report based on the Horticulture and Forest Department's submission that approximately 15,000 trees needed to be felled. As a result, Bengaluru's biodiversity and ecology are threatened!
The mismanagement of the peripheral ring road project endangers birds, animals, trees, water bodies, and farmers’ livelihoods. As a result, the parties involved should publish the detailed project report for everyone to comment on, as well as conduct a new environmental impact assessment as soon as possible.
Yours faithfully,
Vijaykumar HK, Environmentalist Raichur, Karnataka