BENGALURU: Noted historian Ramachandra Guha has noted that former Congress leaders like Indira Gandhi were very concerned about the environment and wondered why Congressmen in state do not show the same concern. While speaking at an event organised by Citizens Against Steel Flyover on Sunday, he noted that the late prime minister had chosen to abandon a dam project at Silent Valley in Kerala, to preserve the environment.
Nearly 812 trees would be axed to make way for the steel flyover from Chalukya Circle to Hebbal, which will be 6.7 kilometre long and is estimated to cost Rs 1,800 crore.
The historian also recalled that even Nehru's view on mega projects changed later on. “Nehru had fascination towards mega projects and considered them as the temples of Modern India. But later in one of his speeches have recorded that smaller projects can change the face of country than the bigger ones,” he said.
“Does the Congress in the state have any defence towards this mega steel project?” he questioned and lamented that bigger the project, bigger will the cut for the politicians in it.
During his address Professor Sundar Sarukkai said, “In the past, it has been difficult to mobilise people in Bengaluru, and that is why this is a transformative moment. More and more of us have begun to say, loudly and publicly, that we belong to this city.”
Professor Gopal Guru of Jawaharlal Nehru University said, “When the government is trying to levy toll how will it be inclusive growth? If many people cannot use the bridge if it is tolled, then why in first place build such a bridge, which is not part of inclusive growth.” He added that government should listen to the voices of people in the city before going ahead with mega projects.
Sharing the future plan of action against the proposed steel bridge, Prakash Belawadi said, “Apart from submitting the collected 'no' votes against the flyover, we have plans to mobilise lakhs of citizens against the flyover if the government do not give up the project.”
The movement will be taken ahead by involving more citizens. We will ask each of the 41,848 voters to bring 10 volunteers against the bridge and make the movement big.
Congress leaders stay away
Leading politicians from Congress, BJP and JD(S), who were expected to register their party's view on the steel bridge, gave the event a miss. While Congress party did not send any of its representatives, BBMP corporator Katte Satyanarayana from BJP and Tanveer Ahmed from JD(S) party showed up at the event and registered their opposition to the project.
No work order: BDA
Ever since the BDA Board approved the steel bridge flyover last week, rumour mills has been overriding that the BDA is all set to hold the foundation stone laying ceremony for the project on November 1.
While a section of media even reported that '95 crore has been released towards the project, the BDA sternly refuted these rumours and maintained that when orders were not issued, how the foundation stone laying ceremony could be held within a week.
Flyovers will not solve congestion: Dr Ashish Verma
DC talks to Dr Ashish Verma, mobility expert
Excerpts.
Why are you opposing the steel bridge project?
The proposed bridge will only shift the traffic from one area to another. I am opposing it because it is not a sustainable model. It will be able to reduce traffic on international airport road for an year or two.
Can you tell us some sustainable models which the government can work on?
We are getting trapped in the vicious circle of congestion. Flyovers, underpasses and road widening will not help solve the problem. To come out of the vicious cycle, we have to improve mass transport. Countries like Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland have come out of the vicious cycle by improving mass transport. We have to improve mass transport and introduce separate lanes for bicycles.
Would you have come to this event by a cycle, if there was a dedicated cycle track?
I would have definitely come cycling to the event if there was a separate track. Fearing life I do not use bicycle on roads. I use in my IISc campus. Existing cycle tracks in the city are not cycle friendly and are poorly maintained. In Netherlands, 60 per cent of the trips are made on bicycle.
