The Karnataka Public Works Department (PWD) has chopped more than a lakh trees across the state from 2018 to 2021 to build new roads and highways. In return, the department said it has planted 5.3 lakh saplings to cover the damage.

A total 56,629 trees were chopped to made a way for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) projects with the largest chunk of 11,078 cleared in 2018-19 for the Bengaluru-Nidaghatta project (NH 275) part of Bengaluru-Mysuru highway.

Though there was a condition that the saplings planted for cutting the trees must be looked after the cutting agency or department, about 30% planted saplings died due to no care.

A senior Karnataka forest officer said only 60-70% of these saplings are survive. “The forest department maintains them for 10 years. Issues such as lack of rainfall or planting seeds on the sides of a road cause them to wither and die. Maintaining them in naturally dry areas such as those in North Karnataka is hard,” the official stated. Activists argued that the saplings do not compensate for the loss of old trees.