The proposed amendment to de-notify 50 species of trees in the KTPA (Karnataka Tree Preservation Amendment Act)  ensures no permission is required to cut down most of our trees, by ANY civic agency like BBMP, BSNL, BWSSB, BESCOM et al.  Shockingly, not only was this pernicious amendment tabled on 9 Feb '18 , but has a chance of being passed when it comes up in Assembly anytime 16-28 Feb '18. So we must act NOW.

We have enough green issues in our depleting, denuded city. This move is anti-environment, anti-citizen & anti-city. It will affect our city natural heritage,  the air we breathe, climate change, water conservation, apart from the city's sheer beauty & aesthetics. In addition,  it will lead to rampant green carnage and complete disregard for the environment by corrupt builders and/or  bureaucrats. Kings of yore lined roads with trees to offer shade & respite to its  citizens & weary travelers , but today our democratically elected leaders seem to dismiss all such basic necessities as dispensable luxuries, while they contemplate fresh city destruction in air-conditioned offices and spew pollution in their taxpayer-funded cars . 

Doubly worrying is that they are not only trying to slime this amendment through, but despite citizen might & visible outrage  on protecting greenery  , they still seem brazenly committed to the destruction of the city. What does it say about our lawmakers & their concern for the city ? What trust can we have in them ? They have tried this before with the steel flyover and the timber mafia had to back off. Are there no lessons to learn?

IIISc , ATREE and several academic institutions have shouted themselves hoarse on the massive damage the depleting green cover is having in Bangalore. Look outside your window to see just how much . As eco-expert, Harini Nagendra tweeted,  : How to fell trees and destroy the environment 1) Amend tree act to exclude most common species from protection 2) Chop, chop, build, build 3) Complain about #airpollution and lack of water #Bangalore #Sustainability.

So #MLAs, please vote AGAINST the amendment if you care for this city, and if you care for the air we breathe & the water we drink, and our future. We said #Beda before to protect our beloved Bengaluru and we are saying it again.  #EnoughAlready. #StopKilling ourCity  #MaraKariBedi so #KillBill . Show us that #GoKLovesGreen NOT #GoKKillsGreen

http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/cover-story/chopping-these-beauties-set-to-become-very-easy/articleshow/62891163.cms

http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/cover-story/choppers-stop-attempt-to-amend-karnataka-tree-preservation-act-has-bengaluru-seething/articleshow/62906346.cms

http://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/Scofflaw-BBMP-twisted-law-over-several-years-to-make-tree-cutting-spree-easy/articleshow/54633610.cms

 http://dpal.kar.nic.in/pdf_files/76%20of%201976%20(E).pdf

Pic Credit: The Caring Hand in Glarus © Sam Valadi/Flickr
Sculpture by Eva Oertli and Beat Huber