Don’t cut trees on campus: HC to varsities

BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday restrained the Inter University Centre for Yogic Sciences (IUCYS) and Central University of Karnataka (CU-K) from cutting trees and levelling land which is part of a Bio-Park on Bangalore University campus.  A division bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and Justice Suraj Govindaraj passed the order after a petitioner brought the attention of the court to photographs showing the destruction of trees and levelling of land. 

The petitioner, city-based advocate Dr K B Vijayakumar, contended that BU, the State government and IUCYS are party to the destruction of greenery and habitat of various species of birds and trees etc. The allottees, IUCYS and CU-K, had not taken permission from any authority for cutting trees and shrubs, and clearing vegetation, he alleged. 

The petitioner sought directions to the Chief Secretary and Vice-Chancellor of BU to cancel all allotment of land made to IUCYS and CU-K within BU, and direct the university to explore alternative land outside the precincts of the Bio-Park, and re-allocate it with approval from the state government. He also requested the court to issue directions to declare the Bio-Park as deemed forest land.