Bengaluru: Bangaloreans took to the streets on Saturday protesting against the Elevated Corridor Project.
The protesters gathering in front of the Gandhi statue at the Anand Rao circle and started ‘Cancel Tender” movement. They were holding placards with various slogans against the project.
As many as 50 citizen groups, environmentalists, IT employees, students and private company workers were involved in the protest. Little children who took part in the protest were seen wearing clothes promoting environmental awareness.
Save Bengaluru Committee, Citizen for Bengaluru, Whitefieldrising, Bengaluru Bus Passengers Forum, Slum Dwellers Association were among the 50 associations which participated in the protest.
Addressing the gathering Prakash Belvadi said “when the garden city turned to pub city Bangaloreans were not angry. But they would not allow the city to be called an elevated corridor city.”
The government should give importance to health, education, transportation and employment. The poor and the downtrodden are to be taken care of. But the government is planning to spend thousands of crores on building corridors above people’s heads, said Belvadi.
All those people who are from various other parts of the state should be ashamed that they are not bothered about the cleanliness of their cities, he added.
The Government is showing 65 signatures of people who are for the project but let the government see the number of people here protesting against the project, said Prakash Belvadi.
Architect Naresh Narasimhan said Bengaluru has developed to its maximum capacity. There is no need for an elevated corridor in the name of development in the city, The cities like Bidar, Belagavi, Davanagere, Bellari should be given importance and developed.
Don’t worry about IT companies leaving Bengaluru if the city is not improved said, Narasimhan.
Bengaluru was the best city in Asia earlier. Now the situation has changed. Don’t worsen it pleaded Narasimhan.
The protesters said that Chief Minister Kumaraswamy goes to temples always. Trees are like god. He is going to sacrifice 3,821 trees for the elevated corridor and getting the curse of those trees.
The political parties in the state are fighting with each other but when they need to oppose the project even the majority party, the BJP is quiet, said Prakash Belvadi.
The 6,300 buses of BMTC occupy only 0.5% of the road space whereas the cars occupy 2000 times more space compared to buses. The government instead of improving the public transport system is trying to make way for more cars in the city said the angry protesters, he added.
The elevated corridor project will be harming the Cubbon Park. This is against the Karnataka Park, Playground and Open Spaces Protection and Control Act. Therefore the tender of the elevated corridor should be cancelled, protesters said and reminded that their protest will continue till the tender for the Elevated Corridor Project is cancelled.
