Activists flag unclear tree loss on Orange Line in Bengaluru | Bengaluru News

Bengaluru: The environmental impact of Orange Line is still unclear, even as Phase 3 of Namma Metro has entered the execution stage, say environmental activists. They accuse Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) of withholding details on the exact number of trees to be felled or translocated to make way for the metro line.Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) lacks clarity, and the numbers provided by BMRCL have changed over time, says Dattatreya Devare of Bangalore Environment Trust.“The EIA uploaded recently gives very sketchy details of the trees affected. Earlier, the summary of the detailed project report said around 11,137 trees were likely to be impacted. The number was later reduced to around 6,000,” he said, adding that without exact details — the number of trees, their species, and their distribution — objections by the public were difficult.A rapid EIA, carried out by Azim Premji University’s (APU) School of Climate Change and Sustainability, estimated that 652 trees of 34 species will be impacted along the 5.1-km stretch of the metro line between Nagarbhavi Circle and Summanahalli Cross, with 463 trees already marked for cutting.“The number of trees that need to be cut also varies with different alignments. BMRCL has not shared the exact number of trees, with details of species,” APU’s Seema Mundoli said, adding that clarity on the alignment is also necessary to avoid planting trees on stretches that might be cleared later for metro expansion. Mundoli was part of the team that prepared the EIA report released last month.The main tree species along this stretch of road are the Indian mast, green buttonwood, small-leaved mahogany, and Spanish cherry. Notable trees include a banyan tree with a 2.7 m girth, a 15 m tall African tulip, and a 20 m tall peepal, the report stated.