Residents of Panathur have for years debated whether their street would get a long-awaited 150-foot access road or continue to have an urban forest. Recently, the local administration said the area would get both. However, the administration’s solution has divided the 150-acre urban forest.
The administration’s announcement has ended a period of uncertainty about the tree park and the near CDP Road project. As per the administration’s plan, the road would pass through the forest, and the tree park would be on both sides of the road. It is pertinent to mention that an infrastructure project through a forest is not permissible.
What's new
A part of the first phase of Panathur Tree Park, which is around 40 acres, would be thrown open to the public on Wednesday. Beyond the access road, which would further divide the forest land, the department would continue to have control of the forest.
The history of the land being notified as a forest would be traced back to the 1980s. After notifying the land as a forest, the department took up several projects for plantation. Several other officials and volunteers also took up similar projects and planted thousands of trees in the area. The project significantly improved the green cover in the area.
Forest officials say that CDP road was planned in about 2008, but the department was not contacted at that time, even though the road passed through the department’s land. “The road was planned long back, but the department was not taken into confidence at that time. The road has been built from both the ends and remains incomplete through the forest and in other places,” said a forest official.
New Development of CDP Road that concerns nearby Residents of Panathur Urban Forest
After the forest department took up the project to develop the site as a tree park in 2020, officials said, the road authorities also asked for the forest land to construct the road as part of the Centrally Sponsored CDP. “The big question is, why have the road authorities not taken up the road project until the tree park was developed?” said a forest official. The officials added that if the road authorities had contacted them earlier, other options could have been considered for protecting the forest land.
“Technology has progressed to the point where constructing the road without breaking up the forest was still an option.” According to the official, “It may have cost more, but the course of the road could have been designed to avoid breaking up the forest.” With the present plan, a road will be constructed through a corridor 25 meters wide and 400 to 500 meters long. Even though the diversion order affects only a small portion of the total forest area, officials said it will result in the physical division of the green area.Fenced and secured Even though a portion of the forest area has been cleared, officials of the forest department said that they will ensure that the remaining forest area is protected. The officials said that 100 acres of forest area located near the road will be fenced and protected.
Once developed, the forest can never be the same. We don’t want to take additional risks with this forest. A combination of the built and the natural environments needs to be in harmony. The official was referring to the 150 foot CDP road.
The Bengaluru East City Corporation is constructing the 150 foot CDP road and has received approval to compensate land in Belthangady in the name of the CDP road at Gunjur. The project is a challenge to integrate a road to improve connectivity and maintain the green cover. The residents of east Bangalore understand the importance of having both- good roads and sufficient green cover. The long awaited CDP road would help residents of Gunjur and surrounding areas to access services in Panathur town. The tree park would provide the community to enjoy the forest which has been slow growing over the years.