Bengaluru: 15,000 saplings to replace fallen trees during Namma Metro phase 2 project, BMRCL to invest Rs 7 cr

Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) plans to plant 15,000 saplings to offset trees removed in Namma Metro's expansion. Costing Rs 76.9 crores, initial planting will focus on Dabus Town. Reforestation includes Doddaballapur's KIADB lands. BMRCL previously relocated 856 trees and transplanted 1,193. Ahead of the monsoon, BMRCL will prune 750 trees on the East-West Corridor and 380 on the North-South Corridor. 

Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) has revealed plans to plant 15,000 saplings, totalling a cost of approximately Rs 76.9 crores, as a measure to offset the trees removed during the second phase of the Namma Metro expansion. Initially, saplings will be planted across three separate sections, with each section allocated a budget of Rs 2.03 crores.

The greening initiative will begin with 5,000 saplings being planted in Dabus Town, particularly around the 4th Industrial Area and neighbouring government properties in Bengaluru Rural District. This move comes as part of a broader effort to mitigate the environmental impact of the metro's expansion, which saw 3,626 trees cut from 2021 to 2023. 

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BMRCL detailed that the new saplings would find their homes in the 2nd, 12th, and 13th garden and buffer zones of Doddaballapur's 3rd phase KIADB lands and other nearby government areas. This reforestation drive aligns with the corporation’s strategy to enhance green cover alongside infrastructural development.

Previously, from 2021 to 2022, the metro project relocated 856 trees to various parts of the city and its outskirts to prevent total loss. Moreover, an additional 1,193 trees have been successfully transplanted to safer locations.

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With the monsoon season on the horizon, BMRCL is also taking preventative measures to ensure the safety of both the metro operations and the city’s flora. Plans are underway to prune 370 branches across 750 trees on the East-West Corridor from Whitefield Metro Station to Challaghatta Terminal, and 380 branches on the North-South Corridor from Nagasandra to Silk Institute. This pruning is essential to avoid potential damage from falling branches and to ensure there are no disruptions to metro services.

Environmental groups have shown keen interest in the reforestation project, with several participating in the tender process which is currently in the evaluation phase. BMRCL affirms that the planting will commence during the upcoming rainy season, utilizing the natural benefits of this period to enhance sapling growth and survival rates.