Namma Metro strives hard to reduce tree-felling damage

Nischith N | NT

In keeping with the primary objective of a mass public transport system, the BMRCL has played its part in reducing pollution levels of the air we breathe in Bengaluru, as per recent reports. Limited last-mile connectivity, though, continues to be a bane in its endeavour at making up for all the trees that were sacrificed during the forming of its ever-increasing rail network, notes Nischith N.

Bengaluru is the third most populated city in India and hub of the country’s “new economy”. It is common knowledge that managing rapid population increase and urban growth can be very challenging. Growing congestion on road networks that result in heavy air pollution has a significant impact on public health, urban productivity and economic attractiveness. As a sustained solution, Bengaluru metro connectivity and its services to the environment has literally changed the atmosphere. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRC) has mandated to relieve congestion in the city and ensure that its development is cleaner, with lower greenhouse gas emissions, by building and implementing the metro project. As the project has an East-West corridor, which is 25.6-km long starting from Baiyappanahalli in the East and terminating at Kengeri in the West, and a 30.4-km North-South corridor commencing at Nagasandra in the North and terminating at Silk Institute in the South, Namma Metro has made a significant impact on improved air pollution levels across areas. As per research conducted by the Department of Environmental Science at Bangalore University (BU), the existing air quality at the monitoring stations from 2017-2021 showed a positive impact. Commuters and activists are confident that if BMRCL increases the last-mile connectivity, it will further reduce air pollution.

According to reports, air samples were collected from six locations – Bangalore University Gate (Mysuru Road Terminal to Kengeri), Anjanapura (Kanakapura Road Puttenahalli Cross to Anjanapura Township), Jayadeva Hospital Junction (Gottigere to Nagawara), Silk Board Junction (RV Road to Bommasandra), Tin Factory Junction (Krishnarajapuram Byappanahalli to Whitefield) and Jindal (Tumkur Road Hesaraghatta Cross to BIEC). The air quality monitoring results revealed that the PM2.5 concentration recorded in all monitoring sampling stations were within the limit of 60μg/m3 prescribed by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB, 2009) for industrial, residential, rural and other areas. At the Silk Board Junction, it was slightly higher due to various other sources of emission as it is a major traffic junction.

Compensatory afforestation by BMRCL is also a major reason for climate change, claims BU. The BMRCL planted trees under Environmental Management and Compensatory Plantation on a ratio of 1:10, as per State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Karnataka, 2019 (planting of 10 trees for every 1 tree that is cut). The report states that the total number of trees felled by BMRCL was 3,246. As many as 817 trees were trans-located, while it planted 56,504 (Phase 1-21,604 and Phase 2-34,900) trees under compensatory afforestation programme from 2009 to 2021 following all rules and guidelines, in a way helping in mitigating regional warming and climate change.

A regular metro traveller Anitha H S, a lecturer, said, “Travelling by the metro will definitely improve our health, saves time, is cost effective and a means of our physiological wellness. But the BMRCL should plan something big in the last-mile connectivity department, and also avoid felling trees as much as possible as we have seen that without any reason, many trees have been chopped. This should be taken care of and the air pollution will definitely further reduce.”

A study has noted that a healthy tree of about 12-15 years produces about 117.934 litres of net oxygen annually. Therefore, 56,504 trees planted by the BMRCL will produce 66.63 lakh litres of net oxygen annually. The planted saplings have a survival rate of 95 per cent.

In a recent update during the Metro Phase-2 project, sapling planting activity was carried out by the BMRCL with 9,400 saplings successfully planted in 2020. In 2021, this number went up to 17,500. Maintenance of these saplings has been started with the coordination of various government agencies such as the BBMP, Army authorities, BSF, Railway Dept and the NDRI etc. Reports state that 37 varieties of species were planted in compensatory plantation by the BMRCL.

“Planting a sapling is a good move, but reducing the movement of private vehicles by giving adequate last-mile connectivity will go a long way in achieving the objective. It should enable enhanced travel experience for commuters with close integration and should bring down the overall journey time. Mass public transport systems at each location need different kinds of last-mile