Tree felling needs positive political will and public consultation
Voice of The Reader

Tree felling needs positive political will and public consultation

April 17, 2025

Sir,

The news item published in Star of Mysore dated Apr. 13 about the merciless mowing down of more than three dozen fully grown avenue trees by the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) for widening Hyder Ali Road between Nexus Mall and the SP Office — in connivance with the Forest Department — is nothing short of mayhem committed against nature.

Does this mean that, to accommodate the ever-increasing vehicle population, roads will continue to be widened at the cost of nature? While it is acknowledged that there are no easy solutions, the question remains: Did the MCC explore alternative approaches?

If they truly apply their minds, more sustainable solutions can be found. What’s needed is a combination of positive, nature-friendly, political will and advanced urban planning. Strategies such as promoting public transportation, offering incentives for shared mobility and restricting excessive vehicle use could go a long way.

There must be a willingness to continually analyse evolving traffic patterns and develop newer, practical strategies, rather than resorting to seemingly easier solutions without considering their long-term consequences. Traffic is not linear — even small interventions can significantly improve flow and reduce pressure on urban infrastructure.

– H.R. Bapu Satyanarayana, Saraswathipuram, 14.4.2025

Note: The correspondent H.R. Bapu Satyanarayana is speaking from his rich experience as a highly qualified engineer (BE, CE, FIE, FIV, MIRC), Chief Engineer (retd.) and Consultant / Arbiter and a resident of Mysuru. The present day administration of our city may do well to listen to such concerned senior citizens and benefit from their counselling.

In a similar case related to the Lalitha Mahal Palace Road, which was in danger of losing hundreds of trees for the same reason as this, for widening the road, it was the dogged, persistent protest and counselling by the environmental activists led by Maj. Gen. (retd.) S.G. Vombatkere, the trees were saved and the roads too were widened in an alternative way as H.R. Bapu Satyanarayana mentions in his letter.

Yesterday, I recalled the Lalitha Mahal Palace Road case and reminded Gen. Vombatkere about it in a WhatsApp message which was as follows:

Gen: I  happily remember but for you Lalitha Mahal Palace Road trees in hundreds might have disappeared, so also the park with trees near the Police Bhavan too would have disappeared and worse the Police Bhavan itself would have stood right by the side of the road.

Kempaiah IPS understood your point and shifted it inside. I am guilty of being sceptic about your objection to road widening  here but finally a way out was found and today we are happy. Trees are saved. I salute you for your Seva as I use this road many times daily.

—K.B. Ganapathy, Editor-in-Chief

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