Hope dented, trees felled, protestors held

BANGALORE: The strife between citizens and city corporation over felling trees on Sankey Tank Road intensified with the utility arresting the citizens who were protesting against continued felling on Friday.After four trees were chopped off in the wee hours of Friday, the officials of Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) resumed the felling after the sun came out.Citizens, under the banners of various organisations, rushed to the spot on Sankey Tank Road near Aiyyappa Swamy temple and tried to stop tree felling.However, police stopped the protestors and put barricades where the trees were being cut. Meanwhile, a few activists reached the spot from the other side that did not have barricades. Around 15 protestors, including women, were arrested.Environmentalist Suresh Heblikar, activist Meenakshi Bharath, Vinay Srinivas of Hasiru Usiru and activist Victoria were among those arrested. Some of them were taken to High Grounds police station and others were taken to Vyalikaval police station. All were released at around 5.30 pm.Vice-President of Sankey Tank Walkers’ Organisation, Vinod, said people were protesting peacefully. He said they were just lying near trees with placards but the police were aggressive in their approach and dragged the protesting citizens. He said police were so rough that some persons’ clothes were torn in the tussle.Rajeev condemns arrestRajeev Chandrasekhar, Member of Parliament and Convener of ABIDe Task Force, has condemned the arrest of activist Dr Meenakshi Bharath and other residents protesting widening of Sankey Tank Road.“I strongly condemn the arrest of Dr Meenakshi Bharath and others. This is unacceptable situation in a democratic society and government where people’s voice and protests must mean something. Road widening is a simple issue for governments to understand. Roads in a neighbourhood can and must only be widened if the residents of that neighbourhood agree to it. Arrests of residents for protesting and defending their neighbourhoods is unacceptable and is as condemnable as police arresting and beating up peaceful anti-corruption activists in Delhi,” he said in a statement.Suresh Heblikar, environmentalist:Why has the BBMP chosen to widen Sankey Tank Road when other roads including Sampige Road and C N R Rao Road can be connected to Yeshwanthpur? Sankey Tank is not man-made and its water level depends on rain as well as nearby trees. These trees hold water in their roots and the tank will dry up if there are no trees around. If the Palike goes ahead with its felling plan, 11 more rare ficus trees will be lost. These trees were more than 100-year-old.