Anurag Jain's Blog on Bangalore Events, Travel, IIM Bangalore, IIM, IIMB, Management

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Posted 4:30 PM by Anurag

Nov 9: Join the "Walk to Reclaim Bengaluru": Lalbagh West Gate

"Trees are being cut indiscriminately in many places across bangalore, in the name of road-widening and/or Metro Projects. Environment Support Group (ESG) and CIVIC Bangalore had filed a PIL with the High Court and an interim committee was formed to look into all aspects of the road-widening plan that BBMP had taken up. As per ESG's claim in the court, which the court also agreed to, the road-widening project itself has not been taken up according to the procedures laid out by the rules and regulations of the various acts governing such activities (for details, visit http://esgindia. org, the attached press release also has some details). An empowered committee was formed under the High Court's directives to look into the issues raised in the PIL and ensure that the road-widening programme is carried out by involving all stake holders, issuing proper notifications, holding public consultations etc., as per the rules and regulations. However, the tree
felling continues indiscriminately.

Bangalore has a Tree Officer who's responsibility is to conserve the trees and the tree officer himself has ordered cutting of trees all across K R Road (some 50 trees were felled in a single day), bypassing the empowered committee which was formed to look into these issues. Initially, it was Race Course road and areas near there. Trees were cut on Kanakapura Road as well. Now its K R Road, and and apparently, orders have been issued for cutting trees in many other places in South Bangalore too. I'm attaching a press release from ESG on the issue. Once the trees are cut, there is no point doing a post-mortem to see if it was legal or not.

The below mail talks about a community action that Hasiru Usiru (a community network) & ESG is mobilizing to highlight extent of damage being done to lives and livelihoods and trees in Bangalore for road-widening and Metro Projects. I'm also attaching some flyers for the event. Please participate in the walk and also publicize the event widely to all your contacts. Post the flyers at your workplace, schools, colleges, neighborhood etc. The face of our city is changing drastically. Perhaps, we can do something together to minimize the damage, at least.

Join the Namma Raste Walk To Reclaim Bengaluru

11 am, Lalbagh West Gate to Town Hall, 9th November 2008, Sunday

Dear All,

Hasiru Usiru, a network of community organisations, residents associations, project affected communities, voluntary organisations and individuals concerned about protecting equitable access to public social spaces such as roads and parks in Bengaluru, invite you to participate in a Walk to Reclaim Bengaluru on November 9th 2008, at 11 am at Lalbagh West Gate.

The key purpose is to highlight the extensive damage that road-widening and Metro projects are causing to the city, destroying in the process lives, livelihoods and thousands of trees. This walk is also to demand an inclusive planning process in shaping our city and ensuring that short-sighted, elite induced, infrastructure development, does not cause irreversible damage to the city and ruin the lives of thousands.

•The Walk is to highlight that there are many progressive and intelligent solutions to the current problems of traffic congestion that do not involve destruction of thousands of trees, businesses and homes.

•The Walk is to emphasise the importance of including public consultations as required by law in road widening and Metro construction proposals. (Currently, both projects are being rushed through in blatant violation of the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act, amongst others.)

•The Walk is to emphasise that the Metro is a solution that can work only if integrated with bus based transport modes. (Building an elevated Metro will certainly ruin the city forever.)

•The Walk is to assert our right to participate in decision making relating to projects of our city.

To mobilise support for this Walk, we have developed a flyer and the same is attached.

Please feel free to print or forward the flyer and kindly use it in mobilizing the wide public to ensure maximum participation in the walk. You may also download b/w posters from the website: www.esgindia.org, print them on A-4 sheets and post them on your organisational and community notice boards.

Needless to state, we also request you to contribute to the expenses involved in this initiative.

Hasiru Usiru members are keen to meet with your community or organisation and explain why this Walk is so necessary now. Please confirm if you would like one of the Hasiru Usiru volunteers to meet with your community and make a presentation.

For details of participation or to make a donation please contact Nandini, Divya or Sharmila at Environment Support Group. Email: divyarrs@esgindia.org / nandini@esgindia.org / bellursharmila@yahoo.com Call them at Environment Support Group on (080)26531339, (080) 22441977 (b/w 10:30 AM and 5:30 PM) on all working days.

Namma Rasthe.. Namma Uru.. Hasire Usiru!
(Our Roads.... Our City... Greenery is Life's Breath)

Looking forward to your participation.

With warm Diwali greetings.

for Hasiru Usiru network
ESG Team

More details contact:
Environment Support Group
105, East End B Main Road, Jayanagar 9th Block East, Bangalore 560069. INDIA
Tel: 91-80-22441977/ 26531339, Voice/Fax: 91-80-26534364
Email: esg@esgindia.org/esgindia@gmail.com
Web: www.esgindia.org "

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