Sir,

Speaking about the 40 trees cut down for the widening of Hyder Ali Road, we all know that activists and interest groups often take a narrow view of such matters. If even botanists fall for these narratives, then that’s cause for concern. I noticed one such example in ‘Mysuru can be a model city for tree protection’ (Star of Mysore dated May 12, 2025, Page 5), referring to the Supreme Court’s assessment of the value of trees.

What is often overlooked is the Court’s own observation: “If we accept the committee’s report, Governments will go bankrupt. The calculations need to be rationalised.” (This was in response to a claim that a tree with 100 years of life left is worth Rs. 72 lakh.) All five experts appointed by the Court to assess this value were, in some way, activists.

The botanist quoted in your feature disagrees with the idea of planting 100 saplings for every 10 trees cut. By that logic, we might as well return to living in the forests we once emerged from. In the meantime, it would be helpful to consider what science actually says on the matter:

“While it is true that mature trees generally produce more oxygen than young trees, it is also true that they consume more oxygen for their own maintenance. Therefore, younger trees tend to produce a greater net amount of oxygen than mature trees.”

– Dr. N.G. Satish, Gokulam, 13.5.2025

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