Bengaluru: A chain to bring down steel bridge!

Bengaluru: A human chain to say a firm “Beda” (No) to the proposed steel bridge  between Chalukya Circle and Hebbal is likely to be joined by actors, singers and sportsmen among others  on October 16 in the city.

The decision to form the chain in protest along the 6.7 km route of the bridge that will cost the BDA a cool Rs 1,800 crore to build and bring down over 800 trees, was taken at a brainstorming session on the project, attended by several prominent Bengalureans in the city on Thursday.

 CXO search consultant, Priya Chetty Rajagopal, who moderated the  session, said besides the human chain, strongly worded letters would be shot off to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Bengaluru Development Minister, K. J. George and Governor Vajubhai Vala to drop the proposed bridge and instead  focus on  mass rapid transportation and other more relevant projects .

“Do we need a project, which will save less than seven minutes of travel time on the Kempegowda International Airport road, at a cost of whopping '1,800 crore? Should we shell out Rs 250 crore per kilometer on this corridor?” she demanded.

Going by those present at the meeting online and offline petitions will  be sent to the government  until  the project is dropped completely. To keep the pressure up a meeting has been called on October 23 at Town Hall to collect public and expert opinion on the bridge. And in the run- up to the large human chain, public opinion will be strengthened using social media networking    and videos will be posted online opposing the cutting of trees for it.

Those present at the meeting included theatre and film actor, Prakash Belawadi, architect Naresh Narasimhan, Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) CEO, Sridhar Pabisetty , Praja member, Muralidhar Rao and Bus Passenger Forum members.

 Mr N. R Suresh, member of the NBF, which has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL)  challenging the  project, said it had been admitted in court.  Deploring that it had been approved without  public consultation, or a feasibility report and environmental impact assessment, he regretted that it had also not been submitted to  the Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee (BMPC) for its approval.