BBMP to spend ₹3,108 per sapling

 Planting saplings as an alternative to uprooted trees for K-Ride project

BBMP to spend ₹3,108 per sapling

Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್ 

Bengaluru: The forest department has once again come forward to plant and nurture 34,000 saplings in two zones under BBMP jurisdiction at a cost of ₹3,108 per sapling.

The BBMP has been entrusted with the task of planting and nurturing saplings as an alternative to the trees that have been cleared by the Karnataka Rail Infrastructure Development Enterprises (K-Ride) project. The BBMP forest department, which has received the money, has started the sapling planting process.

The forest department has called for tenders to plant saplings in Mahadevapura and Bommanahalli zones and maintain them for five years. Although the sapling planting work was to be carried out in two zones, it has been divided into nine parts. A separate plan has been made to plant saplings in four parts in Mahadevapura zone and five parts in Bommanahalli zone. 

‘There is no need to spend ₹3,000 on a sapling. Any sapling, even if it grows to six feet, can be obtained for a maximum of ₹200. Spending thousands of rupees on maintenance is a waste. BBMP claims to have planted lakhs of saplings so far. But in reality, they have not maintained them. They are planning to plant saplings just to make ends meet,’ complained environmental activist Vijay.

This is not the first time: This is not the first time that the BBMP Forest Department has spent more than ₹3,000 on each sapling. In July 2024, a tender was called and work orders were issued to plant 10,900 saplings on both sides of the Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR) being built on the outskirts of the city between Dabaspet and Doddabelavangala at a cost of ₹3.4 crore. Even though summer is starting this year, there is no sign of those saplings being planted, and no G-tags have been installed.

The work has been divided into 27 works to plant 1,13,500 saplings in BBMP zones and will start in 2024. ₹21.36 crore is being spent for this, with each sapling costing ₹1,881. Despite criticism from the public about this wasteful expenditure, the work has been continued by the Forest Department.

When we tried to contact Swamy, Deputy Conservator of Forests, for a comment on the wasteful expenditure on saplings, he did not pick up the call.

• The third project is costing more than ₹3,000 per sapling
• Forest Department not yielding to opposition from environmental activists
• G-Tag information on saplings not available to the public

₹10.59 crore; Cost of saplings to be planted in Mahadevapura, Bommanahalli zones

34,100; Number of saplings to be planted in two zones

₹4.87 crore; Cost of saplings to be planted in Mahadevapura zone

15,700; Saplings to be planted in Mahadevapura zone

₹5.71 crore; Saplings to be planted in Bommanahalli zone

18,400; Saplings to be planted in Bommanahalli zone