Sir,

This refers to the news item titled “Flyover, Highway expansion projects: 561 trees to be axed” in Star of Mysore dated May 5. As the great-granddaughter of Gustav Hermann Krumbiegel (designer of Brindavan Gardens at Krishna Raja Sagar Dam and whose efforts gave Bengaluru its original moniker of the Garden City of India), it pains me deeply to read that 561 trees in and around Mysuru may soon disappear in the name of road expansion and infrastructure.

My great-grandfather spent much of his life shaping the green identity of Mysore State with the belief that progress and nature should exist together, not at the expense of one another.

He argued passionately, even in his own time, against the indiscriminate cutting and lopping of mature avenue trees for   modern works. He understood something many still forget today: a tree planted decades ago cannot simply be “replaced” overnight.

These are not obstacles. They are living shade for people walking in impossible summer heat. They are homes for birds and wildlife. They are part of the historical landscape and memory of Mysuru itself.

A flyover may take months to build. A mature avenue tree takes generations.

I do not oppose development. Cities must grow and roads must improve. But surely in 2026, we are capable of designing projects that work with nature rather than erasing it. Real progress is intelligent enough to preserve what is precious.

I hope authorities will seriously consider alternatives, redesigns, wherever genuinely possible and meaningful compensatory planning, not simply numbers on paper.

If the spirit of my great-grandfather still walks the gardens and avenues of old Mysore, I think he would ask us one simple question: “What kind of city do you wish to leave behind once the last old trees are gone?”

– Alyia Krumbiegel, GHK Foundation, London, UK, 11.5.2026

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