Heightened vigil has made the place safer, say residents

Illegal tree cutting on the Jnanabharathi campus of the Bangalore University (BU), responsible for the loss of thousands of sandalwood trees, has largely been tackled, much to the delight of tree lovers. Residents credit the reduction in illegal tree cutting to the increased security on the campus, stepped up following the October 14 gang-rape of a student of the National Law School of India University (NLSIU). The number of trees cut illegally reached a record low in November, for the first time in 39 years. Since then, residents said they are seeing fully-grown sandalwood trees untouched.