Online petition to stop tree-cutting

by October 18, 2008 Environment

Petitioners in a litigation to stop tree-cutting accompanying Bangalore's road-widening project have taken to the Internet to mobilise citizen support.

The road widening project started by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) sees yet another development. Two NGOs, the Environment Support Group (ESG), and CIVIC Bangalore have created an online petition to a BBMP committee overseeing tree-cutting decisions on the project.

The petition is urging them to involve Bangaloreans in planning and decision making processes, in order to help prioritise safety of cyclists, pedestrians, senior citizens, children, differently abled and so on. The petitioners feel that with intelligent road design it is possible to safeguard lives, livelihoods, homes, heritage and green cover of the city, which is largely provided by avenue trees.

The BBMP, on directions from the High Court of Karnataka had constituted a nine-member ‘Sustainable Development Empowered Technical Advisory Committee in July 2008, under the chairmanship of Yellapa Reddy, a retired officer of the Indian Forest Service(IFS). According to the court’s order, the committee has to take public opinion into account and pass orders on the advice of the experts. The court had directed the BBMP and other agencies working on infrastructural development to consult the committee.

As per the court’s directive, the petitioners of the original litigation, ESG and CIVIC were supposed to be allowed to observe the proceedings of the committee and get a copy of the minutes of the proceedings. Thus far, however, they have not been allowed to attend meetings.

At the same time it was also observed that the BBMP and other respondents in the litigation (authorities) were carrying on with road widening and related developmental works in violation of the directions of the High Court. The new online petition is another attempt by the NGOs who are seeking citizen support to stop the tree-cutting.

To view petition click this link:
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/nammaraste/

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Comments:

  1. raj chandra.r says:
    October 21, 2008 at 5:40 pm

    First who are these ESG and CIVIC Group ? What is their agenda ? Who is funding them ? which this case and where can on get a copy of the judgment ? Who are the members of Sustainable Development Empowered Technical Advisory Committee ? As the name suggests it is empowered by the HC and it is only an advisory Committee and does it mean it is not binding on BBMP ? One need to know the facts before one blindly signs a internet petition.

    Reply
  2. Supriya Khandekar says:
    October 31, 2008 at 6:09 am

    Hello Raj Chandra, The details about ESG, CIVIC and all your other queries are already covered in a series of articles published before this. These articles can be easily referred from the ‘Related Articles’ list on the right hand side of this piece. I am sure you will get enough background.

    Reply

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