BENGALURU: After venting their anger against the costly TenderSure roads and cutting of trees, a few green lovers are contemplating to lodge a complaint with the National Green Tribunal (NGT). Green activist Kshitij Urs told Deccan Chronicle that a complaint will be lodged with the NGT on two grounds — taking up the project on arbitrary basis, without public consultation, and a report on ecological footprint of TenderSure roads across the city is being taken up. “We demand stoppage of TenderSure projects across the city. We also demand to know who approved the project and how they approved it without holding public consultation. In cities like Bengaluru, ecology and micro environment must be managed sensitively,” he said.
About 11 huge trees have been brought down at Jayanagar 5th block, 11th main for TenderSure project and 12 more are set to be cut for the project. As per the BBMP sources, there was mounting pressure on tree office and BBMP forest wing officials from the contractor for issuing permission to remove the trees. A total of 21 huge trees would be cut in Jayanagar for the project, he said.
The TenderSure design is such that, utility ducts with concrete reinforcement run below the footpaths. There is no scope for planting trees, he added.
It is not a single road where the road improvement with TenderSure specification is taken up. The project is likely to be scaled up across the city and aimed to spend Rs 1,000 crore under Nagarothana scheme.
“The Indian Road Congress (IRC) stipulates that rows of trees needed along the major arterial roads in Central Business Districts and major areas to offset carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and noise pollution. Instead of making mega cities Carbon neutral, these projects are destroying the ecology. There should be scientific approach for major projects like this,” he demanded. The BBMP officials were not available for comment.
