The Hindu : A flyover dogged by controversy

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 22, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

A flyover dogged by controversy

By Alladi Jayasri

BANGALORE, FEB. 21. The endless debate between the greens, not-so-greens, and the anything-but-greens continues. This time, ranged against each other are the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BMP) which is building a flyover that nobody seems to want and the local residents, environmentalists, and NGOs who wonder why a landmark with a history, sentimental association, and a thing of beauty should make way for something so mundane and unedifying as a flyover.

Who is spoiling the party over the National College flyover? And why? This is the sixth flyover in Bangalore, and the third to built by the BMP, after the Sirsi Circle and Richmond Circle flyovers. The Bangalore Development Authority has built three flyovers — at Varthur Road-Whitefield Road intersection, the Hebbal and Benniganahalli flyovers.

Ever since the Rs. 16.98 crore project began a couple of months ago, Basavanagudi has been in a ferment. The anger of the residents and businessmen soared as they watched the trees fall.

Last week, the National College Flyover Action Committee took to the streets protesting over a flyover that nobody loves. But it could be too little, too late, for the first people's movement after the "Save Cubbon Park" initiative a decade ago, to make a difference.For Gandhians like Doreswamy, Vani Vilas Circle is a place of pilgrimage, where it all began for the Quit India Movement. This is also the place where the Mysore Maharani began her campaign for the emancipation of women.

For activists like V.K. Somashekhar the worry is over access to the many educational institutions on the roads linked by the circle. And why not solve the traffic problem by widening the roads a little and creating one-ways?

Another question is: was there a public hearing held before launching the project? The BMP has said a project of this kind cannot get off the ground without a public hearing being held, but there are not too many Basavanagudi residents who remember being invited to one, or reading an announcement in the papers. But that is another story, for another day.

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