Our city Bangalore was garden City and citizens don't want to lose this tag. It is our responsibility to take care of our city by plantation of trees and ensure it is adopted by corporate organization and other builders and developers.
The responsibility to nourish these trees and maintain Greenery in new international airport road should be taken by big corporate as sustainability projects, there are many office and commercial establishments who can nourish this idea.
During 1980’s and 1990’s we used to play cricket where we have the Bangalore Doordarshan Office, and defence residential quarters built today and the road starting from cantonment railway station to Mekhri circle was full of mango trees and other trees, we stayed and enjoyed in this locality which is now called as Jayachamarajendra Nagar (J.C. Nagar – Munireddypalya).
I have completed 50 years in Bangalore and have grown up by hearing great stories by our grand parents and how simple was our life and connected to society and took many social initiatives in festival celebrations, we used to celebrate Dussehra festival which was know 2nd best after Mysore Dussehra festival.
How could we not celebrate Ganesh Festival, all our friends used to contribute INR 50 or 100 and we used to go to our known neighbourhood to collect money for Ganesh festival and we had such a good bonding in our society and we took responsibility to keep our city clean which is missing in today's Bangalore
We used to start our day as early as 7 AM in the morning to play tennis ball cricket match and we never went home for lunch and we use to eat mangos and continue to play cricket till sun sets in the evening 6:30 PM, we used to play 3 matches in a day each 15 overs. we used to sit below the tree with a score card and enjoy the match.
There were also audience who used to stop their cars and 2 wheelers to watch the nail-biting finishing matches on this road. whenever I drive on this road, I am happy to see few trees standing tall and after 30 years these trees trigger memories of our childhood days, but the cricket ground is missing due to construction of defence homes.
Presently with the help of Maruthi layout resident welfare association we have planted more then 800 trees in our residential layout, and we have requested respective residence to water these trees and take care of these plants. It will be great if all resident welfare association implement the same concept to maintain the tag of Garden city.
Due to rapid urbanization and infrastructure projects in Bangalore there are more than 1 lakh trees cut to build roads in Karnataka in 4 years.
Based on the Public Interest Litigation Hon'ble High court of Karnataka, Dated 12th July, 2022 had issued directions to upload the Quarterly progress reports of translocation of trees against the tree felling proposals of Bengaluru Metro Projects.
Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation limited (BMRCL) has removed 411 trees and directed to BMRCL for raising compensatory plantation in the ratio of 1:10 i.e; 4110 number of saplings, BMRCL has identified the location in park area 6 of Aerospace sector and park area 1 of Aerospace SEZ at Hi-tech Defence and Aerospace Park Phase -1 adjacent to Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru.
In this regard BMRCL has approached KIADB and has permitted to take up compensatory plantation in their premises. BMRCL planned to take up compensatory plantation of 4110 saplings in the approx. area of 32 acers.
We appreciate the efforts in this direction, but if a common citizen has to enjoy the greenery the trees have to be planted in the service roads of both the sides starting from Hebbal flyover to International Airport and also across all streets in Bangalore to keep our city green.
Please follow this link to sign the petition to get back garden city tag!
Presently I am the only person who is driving my thoughts in myindiaforum.com, I am looking forward to volunteers who are willing to join our India Forum for the betterment of society and city, I am working on a plan where we can take baby steps to make this dream come true.
Volunteers willing to join can write to me on giridharsharmag@gmail.com please share your thought in our comment section for good discussion.