The Times of India 03.12.2010
BBMP orders suspension of work on GKVK road
BANGALORE: BBMP's major standing committee chairman H Ravindra inspected the GKVK Road and has given directions to immediately stop the `unscientific' road making. BBMP has spent Rs 27 crore for formation of the road, which is now stalled due to land acquisition-related hurdles.
Over 1,800 trees were chopped inside the campus for the project, that faced vehement resistance throughout.
Convinced by the argument of locals that the road was leading nowhere, Ravindra directed the BBMP officials to immediately stop the road construction.
On December 5, a meeting with regard to the road formation will be held in which the BDA, BBMP officials, GKVK representatives, and residents living in the area will take part, Ravindra said. The outcome of the meeting will be brought to the notice of the BBMP commissioner and the mayor for future course of action.
BBMP's executive engineer B S Prahlad said: "We have constructed the road as per the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP) 1999. As per the earlier plan, the road was dividing the campus into halves, which we tried avoiding by changing the route map so that the road now is in the surroundings of the campus. CDP ratification has been sent to BDA," he said.
"We did not give the land to BBMP, we had only written a letter to BBMP saying the matter was discussed at the GKVK board meeting. But BBMP took away our land despite our protests. Now, we have moved the court. The road has taken away 1,800 trees on the campus. In spite of spending crores of rupees, this road is hardly used," D Noothan, GKVK associate director, research, said.
FOOTPATHS TO SHRINK HERE
Though the road formation near GKVK is shelved, BBMP has plans to complete the road and make it pass through Canara Bank Layout. The residents of the layout approached the chairman during inspection, but their pleas went unheard. "We do not want a major road inside a residential colony. We are retired officials who have chosen to settle on the outskirts of the city and want to lead a peaceful life," Nandini Aithal, a resident, said.
Member of the major roads standing committee Ashwath Narayana Gowda told TOI that the road had to pass through the layout as there was no other choice. "Yes, the footpaths of this stretch will have to be narrowed to widen the existing road. BBMP has spent crore of rupees to make this road. Irrespective of its necessity, the road has already been half-made and the project must be completed to make vehicular movement easy towards BIA," Gowda said.
VEHICLES IN, BEES OUT
The road which swallowed up 24 acres of GKVK campus has also disturbed the bio-diversity of the park by driving away honey bees. According to D Noothan, associate director, research, at GKVK, there were 220 bee colonies cultivated on campus in 2009, which have now been reduced to a mere 80. "We are into agricultural research here, but BBMP is coming in the way of our work. With the main road coming in, the villagers of Thindlu have started using the GKVK road to reach the city. Not less than 1,000 vehicles ply through the campus every day, and this disturbs them. Besides, our work is hampered if pollination of plants is affected," Noothan said.
