Bangalore woes: Park or parking lot?

It’s an idea that has left environmentalists seething. Vinay Sreenivasa of Hasiru Usiru said that the whole idea of the military memorial was ill-advised, as it paved the way for the destruction of long-cherished and preserved lung spaces in the city.

He said that the Karnataka Parks, Playfields and Open Spaces Act, 1984, had categorically ruled out construction activities that do not have to do with a park in such spaces. Sreenivasa said that both the government and the judiciary had failed in observing the spirit of this Act.

What is termed a parking lot today could well be something else tomorrow, and it might seem just as legitimate to use the park for some other purpose, Sreenivasa warned, adding that such rampant abuse of lung spaces was bound to affect the quality of the parks and green spaces.

Sreenivasa said that Member of Parliament Rajeev Chandrashekar would now have much to answer for; it was the MP’s insistence that saw the military memorial idea take shape.

The Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has put forward a proposal to the horticulture department, seeking that the underground parking facility for 250 cars be approved at the Indira Gandhi Musical Fountain Park. Law and urban development minister S Suresh Kumar had earlier expressed unhappiness over what he termed the ‘novel’ idea.

Environmentalists have pointed out how commuting has got the greater priority over preservation of lung spaces in the city. Portions of Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park will be used by the metro project; the construction of the war memorial at the Indira Gandhi National Park had met stiff opposition from sections of the public; now, there is a move to not only use a section of the park for the construction of the memorial, but also for a parking lot.

The greens say that the government’s move to provide more parking lots also sends out a message that encourages the use of private vehicles.

Sreenivasa said that the decision would be highly undemocratic. There has been no discussion of the matter in the Palike council, and the general public has been largely in the dark. It is also unclear why there is need for additional parking in this area, when there are other parking lots in the vicinity — the Vidhana Soudha and other public buildings offer sufficient space for those wishing to park vehicles and visit the courts.

Environmentalist Suresh Heblikar noted that parks in the city are threatened. As the city is denuded of trees, there is urgent need to plant more trees, instead of planning larger and more parking lots, Heblikar said.

If there is dire need for more parking space in the central part of the city, vacant land behind the governor’s bungalow could be considered, Heblikar said, wondering if the government had at all considered alternative sites.

Heblikar said that digging underground would weaken even the roots of trees left standing in the park. “If even the judiciary has made way for such work, and if the government does not ensure that laws for the maintenance of parks are upheld, then where can citizens turn?” he asked.

Civic experts also point to the BBMP’s poor record in implementing parking rules. There are doubts about the Palike’s engineering expertise, and grave apprehensions about the quality of any underground parking facility that might be constructed by the BBMP. Even the above-ground facility provided by the Palike at JC Road is far from sophisticated in its plan and execution, point civic analysts.

Chairman and managing director of Feedback Consulting, V Ravichandar, pointed out that the metro ought to make for less congestion on city roads, so planners should not now plan for expanding parking spaces; besides, the Vidhana Soudha and surrounding areas already have sufficient parking space.

Ravichandar said that the BBMP ought to ensure that all high rise buildings have sufficient parking space. That would greatly reduce the need to plan additional parking lots. Underground parking is also prone to flooding.

Ravichander expressed concern that parks and green spaces were being so rampantly taken over for parking lots in the city, at a time when the government ought to be encouraging public transport and dissuading people from using their own cars.

Reacting to the opposition to the underground parking project, BBMP commissioner, Siddhaiah said that the proposal awaited clearance from the Public Works Department and the horticulture department. The idea was mooted over two years ago, and tenders were called for the Rs3 crore project in December 2009.

The work was awarded as per government orders to Damodar Constructions, with the aim of creating parking space for about 225 cars, as there were many commercial establishments in the vicinity. However, work could only begin once the whole project is cleared.

Siddaiah added that there was no question of other parks being affected by this decision, which was taken at a high-level committee meeting.