Residents and environmental activists in Bengaluru staged a human chain and hugged trees near Hebbal to oppose the proposed removal of 1,128 trees for a short tunnel road and rotary flyover project between Hebbal Junction and Mekhri Circle, according to a report by Prajavani.
The protesters urged the authorities to protect the trees identified for clearance as part of the transport project. Residents from Hebbal and surrounding areas participated in the awareness campaign, using the Appiko movement and a human chain to draw attention to the likely loss of the existing tree cover.
The project is intended to reduce traffic congestion around Hebbal. It involves the construction of a 2.2-kilometre tunnel road between Mekhri Circle and Hebbal Junction, along with a rotary flyover. The proposed tunnel is described as a three-lane twin tunnel route that will be built using the cut-and-cover method.
A survey has been conducted to identify trees that may need to be removed for the tunnel and associated road works, the report said. The proposed clearance includes 1,128 trees, with more than 70 species recorded in the area. Environmental activists said the trees include flowering and fruit-bearing varieties and should be preserved.
The protest places the tree clearance issue within a wider dispute over how Bengaluru’s road expansion projects manage existing urban greenery. The reported intervention by local residents was focused on the environmental cost of the Hebbal transport works and the need to examine alternatives that would protect the trees.
The Hebbal-Mekhri Circle corridor is a significant urban movement link, and the proposed project is intended to address congestion in the area. At the same time, the reported tree survey indicates that construction would affect an established mix of species rather than a small, isolated group of trees. The precise number of trees to be removed, the clearance process and the project’s implementation schedule were not detailed further in the supplied report.
The activists appealed for the trees to be saved and used the protest to seek public attention before the project advances. Their demands centre on protecting the identified trees while the tunnel road and rotary flyover plans are considered.
The next steps will depend on the authorities’ decisions regarding the tree-clearance survey, project approvals and the proposed construction works between Mekhri Circle and Hebbal Junction.