Karnataka Government seeks union environment ministry nod to come up with tree park in forest land

There has been a stiff opposition from the environmentalists ever since the issue was first proposed by Munirathna in October last year.

Yelahanka MLA S R Vishwanath said, “There is no need to pay heed to environmentalits. They will say there are 300 types of ants and butterflies. Who counts them anyway?”

A part of the forest of Jarakabande Kaval already houses a tree park which was developed in 32 hectares of the land in the year 2015.

Environmentalists have pointed to the state government’s guidelines regarding establishment of tree parks which states that ideally 5 to 15 hectares of land could be converted into tree parks. However, it clarifies, “There is a temptation that the Tree-park scheme is apt to protect forest land. Even though protection of Forest Land is desirable, achieving the same through the Tree park Scheme, in general, is not appropriate.”

“The permission from the union environment ministry should never be given. We have lost so many forest areas in Bengaluru to academic institutions, defence, infrastructure upgradation etc. Moreover, when a tree park already exists in one of the Jarakabande Kaval forest, what is the need to come up with another park,” a forest official said on the condition of anonymity.