# Bengaluru Residents Challenge Flyover Tree Count

> Bengaluru residents claim flyover project undercounts trees to be cut, pushing back on infrastructure plans.
- Title: Bengaluru Residents Challenge Flyover Tree Count · Scroll
- Summary: Bengaluru residents claim flyover project undercounts trees to be cut, pushing back on infrastructure plans.
- Keywords: bengaluru, flyover, tree count, indiranagar, i change indiranagar, karnataka high court, b-smile, tree survey, environment impact assessment, urban heat island, india, Scroll
- Source: Scroll — https://scroll.in/article/1096814/fearing-that-bengaluru-flyover-project-has-undercounted-trees-to-be-cut-residents-move-court
- Author: Sohel Sarkar
- Published: 2026-11-05T14:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: bengaluru, flyover, tree count, indiranagar, i change indiranagar, karnataka high court, b-smile, tree survey, environment impact assessment, urban heat island, news, india
## Bengaluru Tree Count Challenge
Residents in east Bengaluru’s Indiranagar mapped trees along a proposed 13-km flyover route.

> Our survey didn’t include the trees that will be cut inside the Swami Vivekananda Metro Station where the ramp will begin or a nearby church and temple whose premises will be taken
## Project Report vs. Survey Count
Flyover’s detailed project report estimates 89 trees felled and 235 trees within construction width versus residents’ count of 1,001 trees.
## Survey Limitations
Residents surveyed only a 3.5-km stretch of the 13-km flyover route and counted all trees without distinguishing those directly affected by construction.

> The count would be more than 1,001 if we included those
## Court Action Taken
Four residents’ associations filed a petition over the discrepancy, currently being heard in the Karnataka High Court.
## Project Response
Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited dropped one stretch of the flyover while the rest continues after court order.

> There was a writ petition, so we did not want to hurry. We will abide by the court decision
## Expert Analysis
Harini Nagendra notes project reports often undercount trees by excluding mature trees with high carbon sequestration potential.

> They are the very trees that deserve more attention
## Citywide Tree Crisis
Bengaluru had 1.47 million trees for 9.5 million residents in 2014, now less than 4% vegetation cover with rising urban heat.
## Urban Heat Impact
Built-up areas reach 40 degrees celsius while green areas stay at 31 degrees celsius, worsening heat island effect.
## Tree Transplantation Issues
Mature trees have poor survival rates after transplantation and take 30-40 years to provide equivalent cooling benefits.
## Biodiversity Concerns
Project reports ignore impacts on urban wildlife, including 183 bird species at Hebbal Lake and 95 at Veterinary College.
## Offset Limitations
Project sets aside Rs 4.26 crore to plant 2,350 saplings but they provide no immediate cooling or ecological benefits.
## Citywide Campaign
Residents urge redirecting flyover funds toward public transport to address urban congestion.

> Flyovers shift the choke point from one place to another
## Key takeaway

Bengaluru residents filed a court petition after finding 1,001 trees in a 3.5km stretch versus project's 235 tree estimate for a 13km flyover.