Emergency: call to protest imminent tree felling on Palace Road

[Kanishka Lahiri]

Dear Fellow Citizens of Bangalore,

Under the umbrella of Hasiru Usiru, several groups of people are gathering together to protest the indiscriminate and irreversible felling of trees in Bangalore for the sake of widening roads, and ostensibly addressing the traffic problem. The latest tree-lined avenue to come under threat is a beautiful section of Palace Road that connects Racecourse Road to Seshadri Road. Significant excavation work has started on this stretch over the last 24 hours, and within days, if not hours, *hundreds* of enormous rain trees could be axed.

We at Hasiru Usiru believe that such road widening measures are inherently short sighted, people-unfriendly, and are destroying Bangalore, one tree-lined avenue at a time. Moreover, we believe that such shot-in-the-arm approaches do not even begin to address the traffic crisis that Bangalore faces today. Rather, experts in urban transportation and planning have expressed their opinion that this crisis needs to be addressed through a comprehensive traffic management, traffic reduction, and public transportation policy. 

Hasiru Usiru is urgently calling upon all the citizens of Bangalore who are affected by (1) traffic congestion, (2) loss of greenery, (3) loss of pedestrian access, (4) loss of land due to road widening, to voice their protest at this latest, gruesome incident of haphazard urban planning. To this end, we will peacefully assemble at the following location and time.

Where: Maharani College Circle (crossing of Palace Road and Seshadri Road)
When:  1:00 pm, Wed June 25

Please forward this message as appropriate. A large turnout will ensure that the city planners will take our opinion seriously, and we can bring about a change in their thinking.

Thanks!
Volunteers of Hasiru Usiru.

[Dasarathi]

1. I saw a post by Gopal on HU that says buildings have been marked with red paint on Infantry Road to indicate that they will be demolished for road widening.
2. Kanishka says the Hindu has an article that says the FKCCI is talking about total destruction of businesses on Avenue Road.

Kanishka and I will be going to Infantry Road at 10 AM to persuade the building owners there to turn up at the protest.
If someone has contacts in Avenue Road, can we make some phone calls to get people there to attend the protest ?

I know the head of the CMH Road business association, which is fighting the Metro. I'll call him now and get him to call other business groups.

Can we rope in representatives of the FKCCI when we go to meet the CM ?

Das


Leo Saldanha wrote:

Saras

Some protests we have the luxury of time. This one we simply do not.

In a meeting held by the CM last week, the issue of road widening came up.  The Chief Sec, Comm-BBMP and Tree OFficer apprised the CM that road widening could not be pushed ahead in light of our PIL.  The CM was not pleased, and I believe, shouted at the CS and Comm... insisting that all road widening projects should be completed in 6 months.
I posted this info on the HU list... 
BBMP Commissioner just called me and I got it confirmed from his that the Chief Justice's HOuse nor the temple, have been acquired.  He is hoping once the trees are removed and the rest of the road is aligned, these two properties would become available. HE did say he does not believe road widening will not solve the problem.... However he is also very clear that there is need for wide roads running through the city.  I suggested to him that this is irrational, cited many examples of his irrational approaches.  His defence at this point was that we are not talking to the real powers that be.  I brought to his attention all the meetings we have had ... and also our Public Consultation... that he chose not to come. Anyways... there is too much to write on this and it is best we talk about it.

What is important though is that he now has the idea that we are not just a bunch of tree huggers, that we are asking tough questions for which he has no answers.  He also is now aware that we have competence, that he perhaps does have access to.  I raised the fact that Prasanna had offered pro bono his services taht have not been taken... He ranted off names and all I could get was Justo (civil engineer), Raja Rao (water engineer).. but no urban planner/

Subramanya wants to meet us today.. in the afternoon. Let us go meet him at 3. But let us protest and go meet him...even if this means twenty people standing out there to show what is really wrong with this whole programme.

Believe me, this is our last battle to save the greenery of Blore... Every little effort helps.. Every little protest matters.  And hopefully we would kindle the spirit of protests in thousands who are directly affected (Hindu reports today that only 20 have accepted TDR .... amongst thousands of properties that have been offered). This is not a mere twig of hope, it is a strong branch of support that people across teh city have rejected road widening as the way out of congestion/.

best

Leo
S.Ganapathy wrote:

I am sorry, only saw all the messages about this this morning as I was out of town till late yesterday.
 
I cannot make it at 1pm and think it will be a problem for many. I hope this attempt will be successful, but again it makes me think we will be constantly firefighting if we can't come up with an effective series of strategies and a plan to carry them out. That needs someone or some group to be the coordinator -- I really don't believe that a loose network of people working without that can carry it out. Is there any way we can pick up from the discussion held at ESG about a month ago (maybe June 5)? And that some other group can take on the role, as I think ESG probably has their hands full?
 
There are probably others I should send this to, but didn't want it to go to the entire mailing list and don't have other emails.
 
Saras
 

    ----- Original Message -----
    *From:* Kanishka Lahiri <mailto:kanishk...@gmail.com>
    *To:* Kanishka Lahiri <mailto:kanishk...@gmail.com>
    *Sent:* Tuesday, June 24, 2008 11:23 PM
    *Subject:* [HasiruUsiru] Emergency: call to protest imminent tree
    fellingonPalace Road

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[Kanishka Lahiri]

Adding HU to the CC list.