NGT halts tree cutting for Hebbal tunnel as objections top 1,500

National Green Tribunal has ordered Bangalore Development Authority to stop cutting any trees for the Hebbal Short Tunnel until the hearing on Dec 15, after the Greater Bengaluru Authority logged more than 1,500 objections to the plan to fell 1,128 trees. The GBA invited public comments on Sep 20 and gave a ten‑day window, but did not publish the list of species, leading activists to ask for an extension. Over 700 objections arrived in the first round and the rest before the final deadline. Critics flagged the sheer number of trees, loss of species diversity, impacts on microclimate, size of individual trees, possible harm to other wildlife, hydrological worries near Hebbal Lake and the danger of creating a heat‑island in a vital lung space. GBA officials said they are sorting the comments into themes and will forward them to a tree‑expert committee and the BDA for review. The BDA must justify each tree removal and will join the experts for a joint site inspection. A stay order from the NGT bars any felling until the next hearing on Dec 15; further action depends on that outcome. BDA Chairperson N.A. Haris earlier claimed only 56 trees would be cut and the rest moved, but the final decision rests with the expert panel. The authority also stated that for every tree cleared, ten new trees must be planted, whether the original trees are moved or removed.

Context

The National Green Tribunal is India’s top environmental court and can pause projects that threaten ecosystems. Planting ten trees per cleared tree is a common mitigation rule aimed at restoring green cover.