Environmental activists in Bengaluru have raised serious concerns about the lack of transparency surrounding the ecological cost of the upcoming Orange Line of Namma Metro. These concerns emerge even as the third phase of the metro project has moved into the execution stage.
Accusations of Withheld Information and Shifting Numbers
Activists are accusing the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) of withholding crucial details regarding the exact number of trees that will be felled or translocated to make way for the new metro line. According to Dattatreya Devare from the Bangalore Environment Trust, the publicly available Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) document lacks clarity.
The numbers provided by BMRCL have reportedly changed over time. Devare pointed out that while an initial summary of the detailed project report suggested approximately 11,137 trees would be impacted, this figure was later revised down to around 6,000. The recent EIA, he claims, offers only very sketchy details about the affected trees.
"Without exact details — the number of trees, their species, and their distribution — objections by the public were difficult," Devare stated, highlighting a key challenge for civic engagement and scrutiny.
Findings from an Independent Rapid EIA
A rapid Environmental Impact Assessment conducted by Azim Premji University's School of Climate Change and Sustainability provides some specific data for a section of the line. Their study focused on the 5.1-kilometer stretch between Nagarbhavi Circle and Summanahalli Cross.
The APU report estimates that 652 trees belonging to 34 different species will be impacted along this corridor. Out of these, a significant 463 trees have already been marked for cutting.
Seema Mundoli, who was part of the APU team that prepared last month's EIA report, emphasized the need for clearer alignment details from BMRCL. "The number of trees that need to be cut also varies with different alignments. BMRCL has not shared the exact number of trees, with details of species," Mundoli said. She added that such clarity is essential to avoid planting new trees in areas that might later be cleared for metro expansion.
Notable Trees and Species at Risk
The APU report also catalogued the prominent tree species lining the studied stretch of road. These include the Indian mast, green buttonwood, small-leaved mahogany, and Spanish cherry. Among the notable individual trees identified are:
- A banyan tree with an impressive 2.7-meter girth.
- A 15-meter tall African tulip tree.
- A towering 20-meter tall peepal tree.
The potential loss of such mature trees underscores the environmental trade-offs involved in the city's infrastructure expansion. As Phase 3 of Namma Metro progresses, the demand from activists and citizens for precise, consistent, and publicly accessible environmental data is growing louder, framing a critical debate between development and ecological conservation in India's tech capital.
