The Deccan Chronicle 29.11.2010
Develop smarter roads, not wider ones: CitizensNov. 28: Residents of Banaswadi and Wheelers Road came together on Sunday demanding that the civic authorities develop smarter roads instead of wider roads. Protesting against the proposed plan by the BBMP to widen the road in this area, the residents, including traders, home owners and people visiting the church, fiercely objected to this plan.
Highlighting the disadvantages of such a project, the protestors, which included organisations such as ‘Save Bangalore’ and ‘Hasiru Usiru’, tried to convey the enormous burden such a project will impose on their daily lives. And how, instead of being a solution, it will become the reverse, contributing to nothing except for the few vested interests of commercial establishments like malls that are coming up in these areas.
“Road widening is not an acceptable solution for us and the civic authorities must find other means to ease the traffic,” declared N. Ramesh, President of the resident welfare association in Cooke Town. He added, “We are not against development but the proposal by the BBMP to widen the 5-km stretch, is certainly not the answer. Unless the flyover at Maruthi Seva Nagar, that is creating a bottleneck, is redesigned, no other solution is going to help.”
The residents raised the question of the need for widening roads at the cost of dislodging residents who have been living in the area for more than 60 years. There is no real congestion on this stretch and people are being forced to accept the Transfer of development rights (TDR) but nobody is willing to do so, said Vinay Sreenivasa of Hasiru Usiru. “Despite the fact that the project cannot go ahead without the TDR, around 8 to 10 rain trees have already been cut,” he added.
The residents will submit a memorandum to the Commissioner of BBMP on Wednesday stating their opposition and requesting the authorities to devise alternate solutions.
