Deccan Herald 26.12.2013
Parking lots planned in parks
The City’s parks are under threat again. While a
few parks have turned into landfills, those in residential areas are
set to become parking lots, if the Palike goes ahead with its plan.
According
to sources in Urban Development department, the City faces acute
shortage of parking space with the number of vehicles increasing every
day. With no other alternative space available, officials have come up
with the idea of using parks as parking lots.
The plan has been mooted as part of new parking policy likely to be unveiled soon.
Under this policy, government has divided central
business districts and other premium locations into three zones. Parking
fee will be collected on hourly basis in each zone. It also suggests
multi-level parking facilities in the City, while mandating that
building plans should not be approved in case they do not provide for
parking space.
“Bangalore does not have the luxury of providing
parking space on roads. The roads in the City are not wide enough. So,
alternatives need to be thought of,” an official said.
M
N Srihari, advisor to State government on transport and infrastructure,
said while constructing multi-level parking spaces on government land is
the best solution, parks can be utilised on a temporary basis.
“Government
can also think of constructing underground parking slots below parks.
Bangalore has some very nice parks. Underground parking spaces can be
constructed below them, metered and managed,” he said.
Environmentalists,
however, are against the proposal. They said this will kill a few
remaining lung spaces in the City. According to the Bruhat Bangalore
Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), there are 1,050 developed parks and around 250
undeveloped parks in the Garden City. Developed parks are those where
forceful planting has been done to create a green belt.
Legal framework
Greens
point out that Karnataka Preservation of Parks Act, 1976, prohibits
diversion of a part or whole of park for any other use.
Interestingly,
the Act was amended and parking spaces were kept out of its purview
when the government threw open some part of Cubbon Park for parking, a
decade ago. Environmentalists fear that this could happen again.
Environmentalist
A N Yellappa Reddy said using a portion of parks for waste segregation
is acceptable. But utilising even a small part for parking is a crime.
“Around
70 per cent of City’s green spaces have been lost over the years.
Further, normal temperatures have also increased by five to six degree
Celsius. If parking is allowed in parks, the ambient air quality will
get affected and temperatures will rise further. Instead, all government
buildings should be used for parking,” he suggested.
