Environmental activists in Mangaluru have strongly opposed developmental projects that involve cutting down trees, citing concerns over ecological imbalance. During a grievance redressal meeting on the NHAI’s decision to cut 99 trees for a highway expansion from KPT to Nanthoor, they urged for conservation to go hand in hand with development. Activists pointed out the city’s water scarcity issues in summer and frequent flooding during the monsoon. NECF Convenor Shashidhar Shetty criticized NHAI for neglecting green policies and questioned the use of a collected green cess meant for tree cover. He also highlighted that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) issued a notice against the forest department for negligence linked to the Shirur landslide.
Corporator Manohar Kadri countered, arguing that the expansion is essential due to traffic congestion at Nanthoor Junction, which even hampers ambulances. Meanwhile, activists called for transparency on compensatory tree planting and alternatives like developing a ring road to alleviate traffic without environmental harm. Youth attendees emphasized the importance of planting trees locally rather than far away, as tree cover in Mangaluru is only 6.2% compared to the 33% recommended for urban areas. Environmental activist Jeeth Milan Roche highlighted that Singapore, often cited as a development model, maintains a 44% tree cover.
Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Clifford Lobo assured that he would inspect the trees slated for felling to save or translocate as many as possible.
Read More: