Bengaluru: While the city is yet to overcome the shock of state government’s plans to fell 812 trees for a mere 6.7 km long steel flyover, here is a bigger shocker! The state government is in the process of identifying 25,000 trees that will be axed to make way for 84-km elevated corridor.
The multi-million project will connect North-South and East-West parts of the city and Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd will be the executing agency.
According to a highly-placed source, the government has estimated that at least 25,000 trees will have to be cut and has already started the process of identifying them, though the marking process is yet to begin.
Commenting about this move, architect Naresh Narasimhan, said, “This scheme will certainly and effectively create a caste system of elevated roads, encourage more private vehicle ownership and destroy the visual beauty of Bengaluru. I heard 25,000 trees are going to be cut for the elevated corridor. We request the state government for a public consultation immediately.”
He further, said, “A livable and sustainable city is one with diverse neighbourhoods and not one of destinations. Rushing from one place to another is not life! We need a mobility plan which focuses on de-motorisation, not on increasing the number of private vehicles.”
The exorbitant project will connect Hebbal with Central Silk Board in North-South Corridor, K.R Puram with Gorguntepalya and Varthur Kodi with Jnana Bharathi in East-West Corridor (1&2 respectively). Connecting corridors on this 84-km corridor will come up between Kalasipalya and Agara, Ulsoor to D’Souza Circle and Wheeler Road to Kalyan Nagar.
Narasimhan said that the proposed flyovers will pass through the central parts of Bengaluru and what the BDA has planned from Chalukya Circle to Hebbal is a small chunk. “It’s a simple green line along the Ballari Road. But the proposed corridor will be massive. In a simple calculation, for 6 km steel flyover, the government wants to cut 812 trees, which means for 84 km, it will cut nothing less than 12,000 trees. The proposal is still in initial stages and soon more data will be out,” he said.
