MGP tears into tree felling report

Mysuru:  “We are shocked by the report submitted to the Government. Rather than conducting an inquiry into the destruction of trees, the report merely recounted procedural steps — listing requests for permission and the subsequent approvals,” said Bhamy V. Shenoy, Founding Working President of Mysore Grahakara Parishat (MGP).

Speaking to Star of Mysore this morning, he said, “We had anticipated a whitewashing attempt — but what we received is worse. This report deserves a new term: blackwashing. It not only fails to uncover any substantive facts, but shockingly, it goes on to justify the tree felling.”

“In a democratic society, when widespread protests erupt over the felling of 40 trees, there is a moral — if not legal — obligation to engage with NGOs and concerned citizens. Yet, the officer, who authored the report, failed to meet with them or consider their objections before submission.”

“Had public consultation been undertaken, the officer would have discovered that MLA grants were available to fund road improvements without cutting trees; that traffic volume does not justify widening in this case; and that in Mysuru, tree felling has regrettably become the first response to infrastructure challenges, rather than the last resort. Citizens are increasingly aware of climate change and the irreplaceable role trees play in mitigating its impact.”

“But instead of engaging with the public, the officer appeared to believe that his sole responsibility was to whitewash the situation,” Bhamy Shenoy said.