Protest gathers steam

Will BMRCL get derailed at Lalbagh?

The BMRCL has demolished 500 feet of Lalbagh's wall and has cut trees in order to build a station inside Lalbagh. BMRCL has also confirmed that 323 trees will be cut on R.V. Road (Nanda Road) for the metro. On the night of April 11, BMRCL allegedly started cutting trees on Nanda Road and they were stopped by Hasiru Usiru volunteers.
Shouldn't we save Nanda Road and Lalbagh our natural heritage, they ask.
Hasiru Usiru has been leading a determined struggle to make sure the metro does not violate Lalbagh and Nanda road. After 3 successful protests earlier this week, significant sections of the people of Bangalore and politicians from Bangalore South are now demanding that we need to look at alternate solutions so that Lalbagh and Nanda road are saved. The protest on April 21 is to make sure that government issues an order staying current southern alignment of the metro and also issues orders for public consultations on a new alignment.
Bangalore's Metro can go underground and save Nanda road and Lalbagh. The campaigners want the Government to scrap the unnecessary Rs.3,000 crores investment in the High Speed Rail Link from MG Road to Bangalore airport, which will serve only 30,000 air travellers. This money can instead be used to take the Metro Underground. This is techno-economically possible, if there is political will and vision.
Why it is illegal
This metro phase is illegal because...
On 16/03/2009, the High Court of Karnataka ruled in a PIL filed by Environment Support Group (WP 7107/2008) instructing urban infrastructure development agencies to "strictly follow" the provisions of the Karnataka Town am Country Planning Act (KTCPA) & the Karnataka Tree Preservation Act. This order is binding on the BBMP, BMRCL and BDA. This KTCPA requires planning and implementation authorities should evolve projects in consultation with the public. The BMRCL has not followed this process for the Metro.
Metro's Impact on Nanda Road and Other Parks
BMRCL sought clearance and claimed that trees on Nanda Road will be pruned, not cut.
Response to an RTI application reveals that 323 trees will be cut on Nanda - RV road
BMRCL also plans to acquire land in Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain and Cubbon Park and trees will come under the axe.
Candidates contesting the Bangalore South Lok Sabha Constituency have woken up to collective call of the people and some have taken a strong stand on the issue.
Capt. Gopinath and Mr. Santosh Min, Independent candidates, have called for a stop of Metro construction through Lalbagh and said the Metro should go underground.
Mr. Min has also called for re-alignment so that Nanda road is saved.
Mr. Krishna Byregowda, Congress candidate, has also mentioned that he is in favour of looking for alternatives so that Nanda road and Lalbagh can be saved.
Mr. Ananth Kumar (BJP candidate) and Prof. Radhakrishna have belatedly confirmed that they will work to get the alignment changed to save Lalbagh. However they are yet to mention anything about Nanda road (R.V.Road, Lakshman Rao Boulevard)
This is not an issue only for Bangalore South Candidates, but should be an issue for all candidates.
What do others say
Jayanagar MLA BN Vijayakumar, BJP is on record to state that this alignment was fixed without any consultation with legislators or the public. He has stated that investing Rs.2,000 crores more would save this city from certain ruin by the metro.
Dr. Hemachndra Sagar, another BJP MLA has joined protests against the Metro alignment through Lalbagh in November 2008.
Congress MLAs Mr. Dinesh Gundu Rao, and Narendra Babu have also joined protest against this alignment in November 2008 and called for a debate before taking up work.

Namma Metro?? Yaara Metro?
The Metro Phase One will be ready only 5 years from now and costs tax payers Rs 9000 crores, yet it will carry only 10 lakh passengers (12%) of greater Bangalore's population in 2012. The BMTC already carries 38 lakh passengers daily.
If the Metro has to extend to the whole city there will be continuous construction for the next 100 years, impacting nearly 3 generations, traffic congestion will be far worse, because only a small part of Bangalore is going to use the Metro, but the infrastructure will eat into existing road space.
Hug a tree, Reclaim your city, our trees belong with you and me, for details and to join hands contact 9880283974, 9880595032, Email: hu.bangalore@gmail.com. For more information on the impact of Metro and other infrastructure projects like road widening, visit www.esgindia.org.