Was tree-felling justified? Was the road-widening necessary at all?

Mysuru: The official inquiry ordered by Forest Minister B. Eshwar Khandre into the controversial felling of 40 trees along Hyder Ali Road in April has given a clean chit to the Forest Department officers, citing no procedural lapses.

However, the investigation has conspicuously sidestepped the core question raised by the Minister himself: Was the tree-felling justified and was the road-widening necessary at all?

The mass axing of trees — carried out overnight on Mar. 13 from the SP Office Junction to Kalikamba Temple Junction — drew strong backlash from citizens, environmental activists and social media users, sparking a wave of protests across the city. In response, the Forest Minister ordered a review of the permissions granted for the felling.

Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF) Anil Kumar Ratan, who was tasked with the inquiry, submitted his report stating that all necessary approvals were in place and no rules were violated under the Karnataka Tree Preservation Act, 1976.

The report was submitted to Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) Meenakshi Negi and has now reached the desk of the Additional Chief Secretary.

Unanswered questions

While the report traces the step-by-step procedural compliance, it fails to address the most pressing issue: Was the 30-metre widening of a 360-metre stretch between Kalikamba Temple Junction and SP Office Circle truly warranted? Was traffic congestion severe enough to justify such drastic measures? Could alternatives like declaring the stretch a one-way route have been considered instead?

These questions, raised by environmentalists and echoed by the public, remain unanswered.

Despite a meticulous documentation of the report, environmental activists argue that the process was reduced to a bureaucratic formality, with no effort made to evaluate the necessity or environmental impact of the project.

According to the report, permission for felling was granted under Section 8(3) of the Tree Preservation Act, which allows clearance without public hearings if fewer than 50 trees are involved. As only 40 trees were felled, the requirement for public objections was bypassed. The trees were later transported to a dumping yard near Vidyaranyapuram Sewage Farm.

Key details mentioned in the report

On June 15, 2024, the Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of the Mysuru City Corporation’s (MCC) Horticulture Department sought permission to fell the trees, and the concerned official was instructed to submit a site inspection report the same day.

Subsequently, on July 20, 2024, the Deputy Range Forest Officer (DRFO) of Mysuru North Division conducted a site inspection. Two days later, on July 22, the officer submitted a detailed report identifying 40 trees — 26 on the left side and 14 on the right side of the road — which included 38 Peltophorumpterocarpum (Copperpod tree), one Samaneasaman (Rain Tree) and one Vachellianilotica (Gobbali Tree).

Based on this assessment, the Range Forest Officer (RFO) forwarded the findings to the Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) on Jan. 8, 2025. The ACF then prepared a tree valuation report, which was completed on Jan. 15. Meanwhile, on Jan. 22, the Development Officer of the MCC submitted a road-widening plan sketch.

Following these developments, the Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) directed the payment of Rs. 7.76 lakh to the Government, which was made through four Demand Drafts (DDs) and one cheque. Upon receipt of the payment, the DCF approved tree felling on March 25, the report said.