Bengaluru: An illegal hoarding, for which eight trees were chopped a week ago, was brought down by the forest department on Monday. The eight trees of three species, Thespesia Populnea, Tabebuia Rosea and Pongamia, had been cut by some culprits, who could not be identified as the hoarding did not have a serial number.
“I am going to include this in the list of complaints with the Lokayukta. This is the third such violation in Mahadevapura alone,” said Mr Vijay Nishanth, the tree doctor.
The eight trees in a single lane were cut, while trees on the other lanes were left untouched. Activists infer that it could only be for better visibility of the advertisement. Last year, over 30 trees were axed and poisoned at Marathahalli allegedly by advertising agencies.
In June 2017, the Lokayukta said, “If any advertising agencies or the representative of such agencies are damaging trees, it is needless to mention that the authorities of the BBMP are required to remove such hoardings and cancel the permission/license granted to such agencies.”
It directed the BBMP and forest department to ensure that no advertising agency should damage even a branch of a tree. A source in the forest department said that the investigation is under way.
