Protect Bangalore - from "maddening" developments
March & April 2009:
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) decides to put 100 feet wide road cutting through the verdent and biodiversity rich University of Agricultural Sciences (GKVK Bangalore). BBMP officials have ruthlessly broken the processive wall of the campus on the Yelahanka roadside and illegally felled tens of trees and started the road building exercise in blatant violation of the law.
ESG-India and other volunteers held a protest against this on 9th April 2009.
April 9, 2009:
Puttenahalli Tank was handed over by Karnataka Forest Department to BBMP for a Rs. 12-crore development project that includes a jogging track, children’s play ground, butterfly park, illumination and introduction of ornamental fish.
On 16 March 2009, the Division Bench of the Hon'ble High Court Karnataka consisting of Chief Justice Mr. P. D. Dinakaran and Justice Mr. V. G. Sabahit directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahangara Palike (BBMP - Bangalore's civic authority) to strictly comply with the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act (KTCP Act) and Karnataka Tree Preservation Act (KTP Act) when dismissing BBMP's appeal to carry on its ambitious mega project of road widening unconditionally.
April 13 & 14, 2009:
Earlier this week(April 13 and 14), the Bangalore Metro Rail corporation (BMRCL) has demolished over 500 feet of Lalbagh's wall and cut down 5 eucalyptus trees inside Lalbagh. BMRCL proposes to have a Metro station inside Lalbagh itself - Bangalore's distinctive botanical garden!
So...
Q. What is that you as a concerned citizen can do?
A. Answer is very simple. Join your hands and participate in the protests called by organizations like Environment Support Group (http://www.esgindia.org)
Q. Are you thinking if the trees of Lalbagh & R.V.Road be saved by few protests and PILs filed by an organization like ESG India?
A. Trees may not be saved! Probably all 323 trees marked for felling would disappear in next few weeks. Authorities may go against the court directives as all of us know how powerful is the money lobby. BUT... What is important is YOUR participation. It is perfectly alright as long as the future documents "Metro system and other development projects in Bangalore were built over the death of hundreds of trees, against a protest where large number of citizens took part"
Q. Why is it "alright" to lose the game when the concern is genuine?
A. If I could draw an analogy, when you are asked to exercise your franchise, you have to vote for the most eligible candidate. The candidate you voted for, may not get elected. Because, who gets elected is what the majority votes for. Should that stop you from voting for the right candidate? Not at all. We have to vote for the right candidate. But, who gets elected to the parliament is what the majority voted. WE GET THE GOVERNMENT WE DESERVE (as a majority).
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagar Palike (BBMP) decides to put 100 feet wide road cutting through the verdent and biodiversity rich University of Agricultural Sciences (GKVK Bangalore). BBMP officials have ruthlessly broken the processive wall of the campus on the Yelahanka roadside and illegally felled tens of trees and started the road building exercise in blatant violation of the law.
ESG-India and other volunteers held a protest against this on 9th April 2009.
April 9, 2009:
Puttenahalli Tank was handed over by Karnataka Forest Department to BBMP for a Rs. 12-crore development project that includes a jogging track, children’s play ground, butterfly park, illumination and introduction of ornamental fish.
On 16 March 2009, the Division Bench of the Hon'ble High Court Karnataka consisting of Chief Justice Mr. P. D. Dinakaran and Justice Mr. V. G. Sabahit directed the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahangara Palike (BBMP - Bangalore's civic authority) to strictly comply with the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act (KTCP Act) and Karnataka Tree Preservation Act (KTP Act) when dismissing BBMP's appeal to carry on its ambitious mega project of road widening unconditionally.
April 13 & 14, 2009:
Earlier this week(April 13 and 14), the Bangalore Metro Rail corporation (BMRCL) has demolished over 500 feet of Lalbagh's wall and cut down 5 eucalyptus trees inside Lalbagh. BMRCL proposes to have a Metro station inside Lalbagh itself - Bangalore's distinctive botanical garden!
- 1135.18 square metres of Lalbagh Botanical Garden has been acquired for a Metro Station.
- When BMRCL sought clearance, it claimed that trees on Nanda Road will only be pruned, not cut. Now in response to an RTI application BMRCL has confirmed that 323 trees will be cut on Nanda – RV road. That is ALMOST ALL TREES ON NANDA ROAD WILL BE CUT.
So...
- Where are we heading to?
- What are we trying to achieve by taking on the trees in the name of infrastructure for a "developed" nation?
- Is the quality of life going to improve by replacing the trees with Metro rail system, or a wide road?
- Assuming that the city needs a Metro system, is not there an amicable way of achieving it?
- Is the course of development in infrastructure end at the completion of currently planned Metro and other road-widening projects? Or, have we decided to put an end to all trees in the city in the years to come?
Q. What is that you as a concerned citizen can do?
A. Answer is very simple. Join your hands and participate in the protests called by organizations like Environment Support Group (http://www.esgindia.org)
Q. Are you thinking if the trees of Lalbagh & R.V.Road be saved by few protests and PILs filed by an organization like ESG India?
A. Trees may not be saved! Probably all 323 trees marked for felling would disappear in next few weeks. Authorities may go against the court directives as all of us know how powerful is the money lobby. BUT... What is important is YOUR participation. It is perfectly alright as long as the future documents "Metro system and other development projects in Bangalore were built over the death of hundreds of trees, against a protest where large number of citizens took part"
Q. Why is it "alright" to lose the game when the concern is genuine?
A. If I could draw an analogy, when you are asked to exercise your franchise, you have to vote for the most eligible candidate. The candidate you voted for, may not get elected. Because, who gets elected is what the majority votes for. Should that stop you from voting for the right candidate? Not at all. We have to vote for the right candidate. But, who gets elected to the parliament is what the majority voted. WE GET THE GOVERNMENT WE DESERVE (as a majority).
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