Teak, Oak Among Those Cut On Designated CA Site Bangalore: Close to 3,000 fullgrown trees were cut down late last week on a 10-acre land on the outskirts of the city. Land is part of Plot No. 40, Doddanekkundi II Stage, near Whitefield. A neighbouring company, Bhoruka Steel Limited, which was involved in developing the land, is crying foul. It sees the move as an attempt to palm off a plot designated for civic amenities to another company. The chopping of trees resumed on Monday. It is learnt that the area will be cleared of the trees soon. Instructions from the top apparently are to leave some trees on the borderline of the area so that the vacant plot can’t be seen from outside. The trees cut are silver oak, teak, Nilgiris and other flowering varieties. Bhoruka was given this land in 1980 to develop civic amenities on the plot. The steel major chalked out a plan to build amenities like a children's park, dispensary and meditation park among other things and took up a massive afforestation drive. After the company did not develop the land along proposed lines, the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) took back the land in subsequent years. The transfer happened in 1999 after KIADB undertook in the high court that it would develop the land for community purposes. But a newspaper notice in 2002 announcing the auction sale of the plot had Bhoruka knocking on the doors of the high court. “In 2003, the KIADB filed a memo in the high court confirming the withdrawal of this sale-cum-auction notice,” said a reliable Bhoruka Steel Limited source who has been following the development closely. A former top official of KIADB confirmed that the plot was earmarked for civic amenities and no sanction had happened to any government or private player till 2008. “The developments must have happened after that,” he said. Development commissioner Maheshwar Rao said that any such allotment would have happened only after a suitable legal vetting. “I am not aware of the development, but whatever has happened must be after a proper legal understanding. KIADB would not otherwise take such a step of allotting land to someone if the plot of land continues to be a CA site,” he said. KIADB CEO MB Dyaberi said he was not aware of the plot being allotted to any private firm. “I will have to check with my juniors. I do not know about any such development at the plot being mentioned,” he said, seeking time to get the details. PLOT THICKENS • In 1980, Bhoruka Steel Limited given 10-acre land to develop civic amenities • Bhoruka embarks on massive afforestation drive, plans amenities like parks, dispensary • In 1999, KIADB takes back land citing development not according to plan • In 2002, it announces auction sale of plot; Bhoruka moves HC • In 2003, KIADB announces withdrawal of sale notice TIMES VIEW It’s appalling that 3,000 mature trees were cut down in an indiscriminate manner in a span of a week in the Garden City. While the speed of execution with utter disregard to the ecological fallout is questionable, it is also curious that the top brass of KIADB appears to be in the dark on this issue. Time and again environmental regulations are flouted in the name of development. Violations usually invite penalties that aren’t always commensurate with the scale of damage. There is a need for stricter laws and to explore green options such as tree transplantation.