Published in Dwarka Express on 17.9.22

Lalbagh is ‘recreated’ in Yelahanka in North Bengaluru. Atleast this is what the local MLA S R Viswanath, who is also the chairman of Bengaluru Development Authority says when he wants to open this forest area to public domain in the name of ‘Tree Park’. The proposed multipurpose park will have a spread over 350 acres on the lines of Cubbon Park and Lalbagh. Named as ‘Atal Bihari Vajpayee Park’ the Tree Park is being developed at Jarakabande Kaval, off Yelahanka. “This is going to replace the existing butterfly park which is naturally beautiful. Was that needed?” asks Shantala Rakagopalan, an environmental enthusiast who is not happy with the decision. It appears that the MLA is bent upon converting the natural urban forest into tree park indirectly indicating that this place is going to be converted to a park open to public like any other park. One wonders the logic behind naming it as Tree park when there happens to be trees in any park. According to Muniratna, Horticulture Minister, the Government is waiting to get a nod from Centre’s Ministry of Forests, Environment and Climate Change to conduct the ground-breaking ceremony of the Tree park. The MLA wants to ignore the voice of environmentalists against the conversion of the forest area into a park. According to him, environmentalists are making a fake claim of 300 species of butterflies and ants in this area. ‘This implies the loss of breathing space, encouragement to changing natural landforms to suit anthropocentric needs and then of course the swarming of humans who complain about development that would affect corruption and concretisation. And finally, what little of life sustaining environment is left is destroyed with celebration and pomp of naming, bombastic claims and show of stupidity in all possible forms, says Srikanth Gopinath, who is a nature enthusiast. On the one hand Government is giving a clarion call to save nature and forests, but on the other hand, they make efforts to convert the forest areas into public accessible park areas. Whether the MoEF&CC would give permission to do the same, only time has to answer