Mysore: Environmentalists perform final rites to tree cut by City Corporation

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Mysore, Dec 29, 2021: Environmentalists in Mysore resorted a novel protest against felling of trees in the Yadavagiri layout on Monday. The tree lovers alleged that four trees were cut overnight in front of a hospital on Vivekananda Road near the Yadavagiri Tarasu circle. The Gulmohar tree providing shade to patients for over 40 years, clean air besides being a delightful sight to see, in front of the hospital, was cut outraging the tree lovers.

Protesters from different organisations and groups including People’s Movement, Mysore Grahakara Parishat, Karnataka Sena Pade, Kukkarahalli Namma Kere-Namma Javabdari and Kadamba Sene participated in the protest. Observing death of the tree as the death of a human being, activists garlanded remaining stump of the tree and applied kumkum and vermillion to it. A slogan, “Humans are responsible for my death” was painted on the tree remains and as the rituals progressed, several of them got emotional and regretted that the Forest Department that had the responsibility of protecting the trees was cutting them for trivial reasons.

Addressing protesters, activist Bhamy V. Shenoy said, to prevent roots from damaging the house, a concrete wall could be built to prevent the intruding roots instead of cutting the fully-grown and a 40-year-old tree. “We will lodge a complaint with NGT to censure Forest Dept. and the Range Forest Officer of the area for this mindless act,” he said.

Retired scientist Usha Subramanya, who had worked in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for over 30 years, said that trees are being cut every other day due to bad planning. “The reason for cutting this tree is ridiculous. If the same trend continues, Mysuru will undoubtedly become another Bengaluru that is bursting at its seams,” she said, demanding action against the officer who cleared the tree cutting.

Other activists who spoke on the occasion suggested that environment-conscious citizens must unite and prevent any tree-cutting in the future. It is important to protest before any tree is cut and there is no use in agitating after the damage is done, they felt.

Activists Srikanth Koti, K.S. Venkatesh of Clean Mysuru Foundation, Mrs. Ghose of CFTRI Layout, Shivakumar of Kadamba Sene, Lokesh Tejas Gowda of Karnataka Sena Pade, Malavika Gubbaivani of Aam Aadmi Party S. Shobana, Sumana and others were present.

As soon as the event was over, activists gathered near another peepal tree that was chopped off in the same Muninarayanappa Layout, leaving behind huge trunk. Saddened by this, activists launched an ‘Appiko Chaluvali’ where they hugged the tree trunk to express their anger.