Overview

• About 40 mature trees were felled overnight on April 12 along Mysuru’s Hyder Ali Road, prompting widespread protests and public anger.
• Forest Minister Eshwar B. Khandre has commissioned a high-level probe led by a Chief Conservator of Forests to examine procedural compliance and the justification for road widening.
• The investigation will determine whether proper permissions were obtained and if cutting down the trees was necessary or aligned with ecological mandates.
• Environmentalists and citizens held silent candlelight vigils and protests, questioning the legitimacy of the decision and mourning the loss of the iconic tree canopy.
• The Supreme Court’s recent remarks equating large-scale tree cutting to severe harm provide a legal and ethical backdrop to the ongoing investigation.