Karnataka govt plans two alternative roads to KIA: Construction work in full swing
Bengaluru: The state government is planning two alternative routes to the Kempegowda International Airport from Hennur Cross to Begur and Thannisandra to Begur. Though the two projects are expected to ease the traffic movement towards the airport, they will lead to destruction of several small villages along the route.
The road from Hennur to Begur is expected to reduce the traveling distance to the airport by nearly 10 km, while Thanisandra Road will cut it by 3.14 km. The two roads will be 100 feet wide and will have four lanes each.
The state government has released Rs 7 crore under the Nagarothana Scheme for the Hennur to Bagalur stretch, and the work is going on in full swing. But land is yet to be acquired to build an access road to the airport through Mylanahalli and Begur which will be done through the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board.
The government expects to acquire the land and start work on the road by December-end to meet the 2017 deadline. Last month, Chief Minister Minister Siddaramaiah inspected the stretches and ordered the authorities to speed up works on both the roads.
Mr Srikantaiah, who owns land in Mylanahalli near Nelamangala in Bengaluru Rural, said, “We still don’t know when the government will ask us to sell our land and whose land would be acquired. I just hope that they give me the market price if my piece of land is taken for the construction of the road.”
Ms Sudha Rani, who is also a resident of Mylanhalli, said, “I just hope it is not our land. My husband works in KSRTC. We may still be able to make a living and may even get a decent price for our land. But I don’t want to lose our plot that was handed down by my in-laws to my husband.”
The work has also begun on the road through Thanisandra via Mylanahalli and Begur, and the government has released Rs 16.97 crore to upgrade the Thanisandra Main Road. Rs 31 crore has been allotted to build a grade separator at Rashtrothana Junction. The project say that the government and BDA would even go to the extent of arm twisting the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to get its permission.
