Mysuru: Tree Authorities have been constituted in 17 urban local bodies across Mysuru and Mandya districts to strengthen the protection and preservation of trees amid rapid urban expansion and infrastructure development.

The authorities have been formed under the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, 1976, following a government communication dated June 1, 2026. Conservator of Forests, Mysuru Circle, S S Ravishankar has issued the official order based on proposals submitted by the Deputy Conservators of Forests of Mysuru Territorial, Hunsur and Mandya divisions.

The authorities are expected to meet regularly and play a role in balancing developmental requirements with the preservation of the green cover of Mysuru and surrounding urban areas.

Forest Conservator to head all authorities

S S Ravishankar will serve as the chairperson of all the Tree Authorities constituted under the order.

Each authority will comprise three official members and one nominated public-sector member. The nominated member will be either a botanist or an environmental expert, bringing specialised knowledge into decisions concerning tree preservation and removal.

Among those appointed as nominated members are environmentalist Bhanu Mohan for Mysuru City Corporation, environmentalist Ravishankar Bale for Rammanahalli Town Panchayat, environmentalist P Manjunath for Bogadi Town Panchayat and Snake Basavaraju for Kadakola Town Panchayat.

Botanist G L Basavaraju has been appointed for Srirampura Town Panchayat, while environmentalist Dayanand Sagar will represent Hootagalli City Municipal Council.

Wildlife biologist A Divyashree has been appointed for Hunsur City Municipal Council, K R Nagar Town Municipal Council and Periyapatna Town Municipal Council.

Environmentalists and botanists have also been appointed to the authorities in other local bodies in Mysuru district.

Environmentalists appointed include Lakshmanaswamy for Nanjangud City Municipal Council, while botanist Venkatesh has been appointed for Bannur Town Municipal Council. Botanist Zahara Fathima will serve the H D Kote and Sargur Town Municipal Councils, and botanist Prathima Kumari has been appointed for T Narsipura Town Municipal Council.

Authorities also formed in Mandya district

Tree Authorities have also been constituted in Mandya district.

They cover Mandya City Municipal Council and the Town Municipal Councils of K R Pete, Maddur, Nagamangala, Pandavapura and Srirangapatna, besides Belluru Town Panchayat.

The formation of the authorities comes at a time when Mysuru is expanding beyond its traditional urban limits and facing increasing pressure from road, housing and other infrastructure projects.

The authorities are expected to provide a structured platform for government officials and environmental experts to examine tree-related issues arising from such projects.

Experts seek early intervention in road projects

Ravishankar Bale said the authorities should begin by seeking changes in the way tree-clearance proposals for major infrastructure projects are handled.

He pointed to the clearance of at least 783 trees for 10 road projects in Mysuru district over the past year.

According to him, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Public Works Department’s National Highways divisions have, in some cases, approached the Forest Department for tree-clearance permission only after the detailed project report had been approved, tenders completed, work orders issued and work commenced.

He said the newly constituted authorities should seek government guidelines requiring tree-clearance issues to be considered at the design stage itself.

Such early intervention, he said, would allow experts and nominated members to suggest changes to project designs with the objective of saving or transplanting as many trees as possible.

Authority can assess trees before development works

Forest Department officials said Mysuru already has a Tree Officer, but granting permission to remove large numbers of trees for development projects remains challenging, particularly when projects face opposition from environmentalists and residents.

They said the new authorities can bring together government stakeholders, technical experts and representatives of environmental organisations or the public to assess the importance of projects and determine how many trees can be retained or transplanted.

Such a mechanism could also provide a broader assessment before tree-felling permissions are granted, while reducing the possibility of the Forest Department being perceived as taking unilateral decisions.

Powers under Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act

Under the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act, the Tree Authorities have several responsibilities related to urban greenery.

These include conducting a census of existing trees and specifying standards for the number and species of trees that should be maintained in different localities.

The authorities are also expected to support the planting, maintenance and preservation of trees.

Another important responsibility is to recommend scientific measures for transplanting trees that need to be removed for projects such as construction of new roads, widening of existing roads or measures required to address danger to life and property.

The authorities could therefore have a role in examining alternatives to tree removal and ensuring that transplantation is considered wherever technically feasible.

Over 3,000 trees covered in public clearance applications

Forest Department figures indicate the scale of the challenge.

During 2025-26, the department permitted the removal of 559 trees in Mysuru district for various development projects.

In addition, the department received 85 applications from members of the public seeking permission to remove a total of 3,115 trees. Permission was granted for the removal of 154 trees from these applications.

Environmentalists have welcomed the formation of the Tree Authorities, saying that the participation of experts could provide a more structured approach to resolving conflicts between development and tree conservation.

They pointed out that environmental activists, many of whom have professional experience in the field, frequently participate in protests against tree removal projects.

The new system, they said, could provide an institutional platform for experts to examine projects, suggest alternatives and work towards reducing tree loss before construction begins.

With Mysuru continuing to expand and infrastructure projects increasing across the district, the effectiveness of the newly constituted authorities will depend on how early they are involved in project planning and how their technical recommendations are incorporated into development proposals.