ESG Campaigns - Tree Felling

ESG's communication with the Forest Dept and concerned citizens

April 2004	On April 21st, a 60-year old raintree opposite Sringeri Shankar Mutt in Shankarpuram started getting cut. Despite a temporary stay obtained by ESG on the cutting, and opposition by local residents and other citizens, the tree was cut down on May 1st under police protection. Due to ongoing citizen action, the High Court has stayed all further developmental activity till further notice. Read the story in detail. On reports of felling Ashoka trees on Cubbon Road, per the opinion expressed by His Excellency the Governor of Karnataka without following the procedures per law and High Court directions, we expressed our concerns in writing to the Chief Secretary who ordered the felling and all the other concerned authorities. The Governor's office through a commuication to ESG confirmed no authorisation from their side to cut these trees. We have since written to the Karnataka Forest Dept for necessary action.
March 2004	We are following up with the Forest Dept on the issue of illegal land acquisition of forest land and tree felling by BDA in Turahalli minor forest area in South Bangalore. In this case the Karnataka Forest Dept had booked two Forest Offence Cases (FOC No 19 and 20 of Jan 2004) against the Land Acquisition Officer of BDA and the contractor.
January 2004	The latest case files of the complaints received on our helpline were submitted to the DFO. We requested him to give us an "action taken" report on the cases filed and he assured us of the same in a couple of weeks time. We are following up with the Forest Dept to provide us the report.
November 2003	ESG has written to the complainants about their cases being taken to the DFO and the assurances that he gave to attend to the illegal tree felling cases in Bangalore. Read the letter.
October 2003	The complaints received on ESG's tree helpline were documented and taken to the DFO. Case files were compiled on the complaints received and a request was made to legal action on the perpetuators of law. Read the request letter. As ESG was providing phone numbers of the Forest Dept to the complainants on ESG's helpline for reporting tree felling in the city, we expressed concerns over calls of illegal tree felling cases not being attended to properly and no prompt action being taken by the Forest Dept. The DFO hence directed his staff to keep a written record of all complaints and in case of any urgent action needed, he directed them to immediately fax the details to the Range Forest Officers to visit the site at once. Read the minutes of the meeting with the DFO.
August 2003	A request was made for a copy of the FIR filed in Nanda Road case and a demand was made in the context of the Karnataka High court's directive on tree felling that the DFO's office should come out with an order immediately withdrawing all orders authorizing felling of trees in the Bangalore, be they issued in the past or present. Following our demand, the DFO's office issued an order to the effect. Read our request and the DFO's order.
July 2003	ESG witnessed a criminal act of felling full-grown and healthy Rain Trees on the Nanda Talkies Road, Jayanagar, Bangalore South. We filed a complaint with the District Forest Officer, Bangalore Urban and decided to follow up this rampant destruction of Bangalore forest cover. The Forest Dept booked the culprits. Read the Complaint.

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