A day before the scheduled start of widening of Sankey Road stretch by the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Monday, members of the Sankey Park Walkers Association intensified their agitation against the proposed widening by walking up to MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan's residence to seek a review of the project.

However, Mr. Ashwath Narayan was not present. The green brigade will now meet Deputy Mayor S. Harish on Monday to register their reservation against the project with him, and ask him to stop the project till their concerns are addressed.

The association members, comprising residents of the areas around Sankey Road, have also launched an agitation against the proposed widening of the road between Bhashyam Circle and Malleswaram 18{+t}{+h}Cross Junction.

Apart from anger over felling of trees for widening, the association members also expressed displeasure over the manner in which some private property had been marked for acquisition allegedly without giving the owners any notice.

However, Mr. Harish had told presspersons here on Saturday that contrary to claims made by non-governmental organisations and a few resident welfare associations that over 500 trees will be felled on this stretch, only 19 trees will be felled.

He said that the Directorate of Urban Land Transport had studied the project proposal and stated that the stretch between Cauvery Junction and Bhashyam Circle need not be widened. This stretch is 27 m wide.

“The road is being widened as per the Revised Master Plan 2015. The passenger car unit per hour on the road is 3,637 and nearly 43,600 vehicles use the road every day. The work orders have been issued and work will be completed in 18 months,” he said.

Mr. Harish added that only four properties needed to be acquired. Contrary to claims of the NGOs, Stella Mary's school building will not be affected. Only the temporary shed on the premises will be brought down.

62 trees

He said that on the stretch between Sankey Park and Maramma Circle, 62 trees will be felled — 13 in Sankey Park and 49 on the Forest Department campus. The road width of this stretch is just 15 m and needs to be widened. The stretch between C.N.R. Rao Circle and Yeshwantpur Circle, which is 23 m to 25 m wide, will be widened to 45 m as per Revised Master Plan 2015.