Bengaluru Residents Map Trees to Challenge Infrastructure Projects

Bengaluru residents are stepping up to map and protect urban trees as infrastructure projects threaten the city's remaining green cover. In August 2019, the Karnataka High Court ordered a citywide tree census under the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act of 1976, setting a three-year deadline that remained unfulfilled seven years later.

Indiranagar Survey

In east Bengaluru, a proposed 13-kilometre flyover from Swami Vivekananda Metro Station to Silk Board Junction threatens numerous trees. The detailed project report estimates that 89 trees will be cut and 235 fall within the construction width. Skeptical about these figures, a network of resident welfare associations named I Change Indiranagar surveyed a 3.5-kilometre stretch and counted 1,001 trees. Four residents' associations filed a petition over the discrepancy, leading the implementing agency, Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited, to drop one stretch of the flyover while the case is heard.

Hebbal Tunnel Opposition

Residents are also opposing a proposed tunnel project in north Bengaluru's Hebbal that requires removing 1,128 trees. After a public notice issued on September 19, officials received around 1,600 objections. On October 16, the National Green Tribunal ordered that no trees be cut until the case is decided, scheduling the next hearing for December 15. A separate petition is also pending in the Karnataka High Court.

Urban Heat and Loss

Experts note that discrepancies are common because project reports tend to count trees selectively and exclude mature ones. A 2025 study by the Indian Institute of Science found that Bengaluru's built-up area grew by 1,078% between 1973 and 2025, while vegetation shrank by 88% and water bodies by 79%. This loss contributes to the urban heat island effect, pushing land surface temperatures to 40°C in built-up areas. Furthermore, compensatory plantings and tree transplantation offer limited ecological benefits because mature trees are difficult to relocate and young saplings take decades to provide equal cooling and pollution control.

Context

Urban infrastructure development often conflicts with environmental preservation in rapidly growing Indian cities. Independent citizen mapping exercises highlight gaps in official project reports, prompting legal challenges that force authorities to re-evaluate construction plans. Preserving mature avenue trees and interconnected green spaces remains critical for regulating local temperatures and sustaining urban biodiversity.