25 giant trees marked for cutting on Uthanahalli Road near arch

As Hyder Ali Road — from Kalikamba Temple to SP Office Circle — turns into a flashpoint following the felling of 40 mature, shade-giving trees for road widening, City Police maintained a presence to avert any untoward incident. This morning, members of Raitha Sangha and environmental activists arrived with saplings of native tree species, determined to replant along the very stretch where the trees once stood.

Mysuru: Close on the heels of the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) and Forest Department felling over 40 trees along Hyder Ali Road — from Kalikamba Temple to SP Office Circle — under the pretext of road widening, fresh concerns have emerged over plans to axe another 25 fully grown trees along Uthanahalli Road near the welcome arch.

Environmental activists, posting photos of the trees already marked for felling, revealed that the entire stretch has been levelled and each of the 25 trees numbered — indicating that they are next in line to be cut down.

Activists alleged that just like the 40 trees on Hyder Ali Road were brought down using mechanical saws under the cover of darkness in the early hours of Apr. 13, the trees on Uthanahalli Road are also likely to be felled in a similar clandestine operation.

Calling it the “second massacre of trees,” activists are preparing to launch a widespread agitation to prevent further destruction of Mysuru’s green cover. They have demanded that MCC and Forest Dept. immediately halt any such move that would irreversibly damage the city’s environmental fabric.

This post was published on April 16, 2025 6:38 pm