Whitetopping debris sapping life out of saplings: Activists

BENGALURU: Whitetopping work by

Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike

(BBMP) is negating

environmentalists

’ efforts to increase the city’s green cover.

A group of volunteers and techies under the aegis of NGO Hasiru Ratha is planting

saplings

in various parts of the city, including

Basavanagudi

, Banashankari and Yediyur.

“Every time we plant saplings in a locality, whitetopping work is under way in one or the other roads and BBMP workers carelessly dump construction debris on the saplings, killing them,” complained Ananda Thirta, a member of Hasiru Ratha.

“The saplings need at least three to four months of intense nourishment and we arrange tankers to water them apart from providing manure,” said Ravikiran B, a resident of Basavanagudi.

The BBMP has handed over over six lakh seedlings to citizens since 2017, said deputy conservator of forests (BBMP), Cholaraj. “The seedlings are given to everyone who is interested in increasing the city’s green cover,” he added.

Confirming that whitetopping work was turning out to be detrimental to the seedlings, Cholaraj said, “This has come to my notice but we can’t do anything considering it’s a government project. Only residents and environmentalists can do something.”

The BBMP forest officer suggested environmentalists and residents install tree guards to protect the saplings.

Mayor Gangambike Mallikarjun said she was aware of the problem and had informed KT Nagaraj, chief engineer, to look into the issue and clear the debris which is destroying the seedlings.