Environmental activists disrupt road widening work in Mysuru, seek assurance on tree park

Nearly 200 environmental activists objected to the road widening work initiated by authorities on the Hyder Ali Road in Mysuru, where scores of trees were felled a few months ago resulting in widespread outrage.

The activists, who began their demonstration at around 10 a.m. on Thursday, thwarted the road widening works until 3 p.m., and demanded an assurance from the authorities that tree planting would be taken up on the roadside, apart from the establishment of a park comprising 400 trees.

Following the opposition, Mysore City Corporation (MCC) officials shared relevant documents and gave a written assurance to the activists that tree replanting on the road would be taken up within six months, according to Kamal Gopinath, president, Peoples Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Mysuru.

There were activists from nine organisations, including Mr. Gopinath, state president and general secretary of ‘Parisarakkagi Naavu’ A.T. Ramaswamy and Parashurame Gowda respectively, members of ‘Parisara Balaga’, Clean Mysore Foundation, and Dalit Panthers Association, among others.

The activists also demanded that traffic surveys and analyses, if undertaken for the widening and development of the road, be released. A PUCL release said the authorities have given a written assurance stating that the widening works would be completed within six months, and as many as 150 saplings will be planted on the right and left pathways, apart from the middle meridian of the new road.

The widening work is being undertaken at a cost of ₹20 crores, and a sum of ₹50 lakhs has already been released.

The MCC team also released the Traffic Survey and Analysis report, which was prepared before the trees were cut down in April. Senior forest department officials who apprised themselves of the demands of the activists, said that land for the proposed tree park was to be identified and provided by the MCC, though the latter claimed that it was the responsibility of the forest department. The activists said they would vigorously pursue the demand for a tree park with the government and the forest department in the days ahead.