All Saints Church which is about to celebrate it’s 150 years may lose its greenery. As many as 186 trees on its premises will be felled. The reason is, to make way for the underground section of the Gottigere-Nagwara Metro line. While inmates of a school for children with learning and cognitive disabilities and an old-age home are likely to be evicted.
186 Trees under threat
The church complex alone is home to more than 100 trees. Including, with lush green lawns that are dotted with benches. Other than the greenery, there is also a school for children with learning cognitive disabilities and an old age home. But with the planned metro construction for the Dairy Circle to Nagawara line, some fear all of this will be lost. Many fear that the construction activity will impact the heritage church structure itself.
“Half of the church complex will go. With all the tunnel digging and drilling, it will affect the heritage structure of the 150-year-old church,” activist Arun Prasad said. Activists concerned with conserving the remnants of Bengaluru’s famed green cover have lent support to the cause. A Change.org petition seeking a change in plan from the BMRCL has been supported by more than 6,400 people within a day. (Source: The News Minute)
Will Affect the Heritage structure
Joseph Hoover, part of the United Conservation Movement, said, “As many as 80 trees are expected to be cut at All Saints Church compound. This could be avoided as Bengaluru is already in the throes of a severe water crisis. We cannot afford to lose so many trees. Also, the pollution level is barely 2 PPM away from irrecoverable disaster. Already the children and elderly are choking. The trees are a roosting spot many species of birds. The rare Paradise Flycatcher is a common sight in this micro-climate ecosystem.”
The activists also fear that the lush green campus will be converted to a dumpsite. However, the petition states that the church has already given over two acres of land to Bangalore Metro Water and through which the surrounding areas like Ashok Nagar, Langford Town, Richmond Town, and Austin Town get drinking water.
The commercial property the ground owned, which housed a petrol pump, Toms Hotel, Fatima Bakery, and Daniel Garage, has already been handed to BMRCL for the same metro project.
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