Stop being secretive about projects, Bangalore tells civic bodies

The BBMP and BDA are carrying out development projects in secrecy, against the rules of the Town and Country Planning Act of 1961, civic activists have alleged. The activists, including those from Hasiru Usiru, Malleswaram Swabhimana Initiative and Citizen Action Forum, said this at a discussion on development projects in the city on Tuesday.

During the discussion, they talked about three projects which involve chopping of over 500 trees. The projects involved cutting of 46 trees for the construction of a flyover near Kanteerava Studios towards Tumkur Road and an underpass on the road from Mahalakshmipuram to Peenya to accommodate a signal-free corridor on Outer Ring Road; 346 trees for the construction of an underpass and flyover near Sadashivnagar police station and 154 saplings and 66 trees for the construction of a road over a bridge at Shamanna Garden level crossing.

Leo Saldanha of Environment Support Group (ESG) said that according to Town and Country Planning Act of 1961, development plans should be made public; implementing agencies should also reveal the rationale behind the projects. “The civic agencies should notify the public not only when they are going to acquire land for a project, but during the conceptualisation, formulation and implementation stages. Moreover, they have to make public the logic behind the project and say why it is in public interest,” he said.

According to the activists, the BDA and BBMP are not following any plan while taking up projects. For example, though work for the CNR Rao Circle underpass has not been completed, the civic agencies have started planning another flyover and underpass near Sadashivnagar police station, claiming it would ease traffic problems.

However, the activists, including Swabhimana Initiative’s Meenakshi Bharat, pointed out that some of the traffic problems in the city are actually caused by the construction of the CNR Rao Circle underpass. “Wait for the underpass to be completed so that there would be some logic behind the constructions,” she said.
Deputy conserver of forests Chandrashekar said citizens will have to sacrifice something for development. However, activists said it is time that this mindset changed. “None of us is against development projects when they are actually needed. But simply constructing grade separators without addressing the root problem is foolish,” said Saldanha.

“We want to work with the government. However, you treat us like traitors when we question the validity of the projects and act like thieves when you cut trees in the dead of the night. We want to work with you but we need to be able to trust you,” said Meenakshi Bharat.

Saldanha said it is naive to think that any project is an issue of environment versus development. “The question is about the right choice and the wrong one. We will support you when it is right,” he said.

While officials have decided to wait for the completion of the CNR Rao Circle underpass before taking up the project at Sadashivnagar, the other projects will be made public on websites as well as through public notices and advertisements in the coming days.