Karnataka govt.’s decision to revoke Cantonment Railway Colony’s biodiversity tag draws criticism

An environmental organisation, Parisarakkagi Naavu, has criticised the State Forest, Ecology and Environment Department for withdrawing its earlier order to bestow biodiversity heritage site tag to the 8.61-acre Cantonment Railway Colony in Bengaluru.

Former MLA and environmentalist A.T. Ramaswamy, who is also the president of the organisation, on Friday, said that the reason given by Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre for withdrawing its earlier notification issued on September 10 reflects the inefficiency and irresponsibility of the department.

Mr. Khandre had said that the State government is withdrawing the September 10 order due to legal restrictions under the Railway Act.

“The Environment Minister said that the Railway Land Authority has promised to relocate and replant these trees. This statement by the Minister shows that the protection of 371 huge trees is not his priority, but rather to allow the trees to be cut down and to construct buildings there,” he said.

The organisation welcomed the High Court’s order against the cutting of 371 trees in the Cantonment Railway Colony without permission.

“The Railway Land Authority should either give a vacant land (without trees) under its jurisdiction to a private company to build a building or demolish the old quarters and build multi-storey buildings there or allow multi-storey buildings to be built on top of railway stations like those built in foreign countries,” he added.