Short tunnel: Citizens group demand ecological survey and alternative alignments

Stressing that over 21,000 people have signed a petition opposing the Short tunnel project at Hebbal, citing concerns over the felling of 1,128 trees, citizens group have requested the Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Ramalinga Reddy not to allow the tree-felling until an independent assessment of the project’s ecological and hydrological impact is carried out.

In a letter to the Minister, the group said the 1,128 trees proposed to be cut down are spread across an approximately 2.2-2.3-km stretch, amounting to more than 500 trees per km. A vegetation survey has identified more than 1,400 trees along the larger stretch, it said.