Beda, beda, flyover beda: 2,000 form human chain to stop steel flyover
BENGALURU: In a clear verdict against the government’s decision to build a steel flyover from Chalukya Circle to Hebbal Flyover, over 2,000 people formed a human chain on Sunday morning to protest against the mammoth structure that will destroy hundreds of trees on the stretch.
Citizens, social activists, urban experts, politicians and theatre personalities were part of the protest. Rajya Sabha member Rajeev Chandrasekhar, who carried a placard saying ‘beda’ (don’t want in Kannada), said that the government is going ahead with the Rs 1,791 crore project without inviting public opinion.
He said, “The government should give heed to the opinion of the people. Instead, it is asking them to choose between environment and transport. The government should come up with a comprehensive plan." He said, “Thousands of citizens are taking part in this protest, and it is a wake-up call to the Chief Minister to not ignore this mammoth protest."
Questioning the very intention of the government, former Lokayukta Justice Santosh Hegde said, “There are many ways by which the government can solve the traffic problem. This huge amount can be spent elsewhere.”
Terming it as a completely contractor-oriented and election-oriented project, BJP MLA Suresh Kumar said, “Why is the government not listening to the public opinion? The government is saying that it will cut 812 trees for the project and plant 60,000 ornamental plants which will be of no use to the environment.”
Human chain of steel to stop steel flyover
Eleven-year-old Smita, who is in her 6th grade said, “At times when my teachers are asking us to plant sampling and save our environment, my mother Geetha told me that for a steel bridge 812 trees have to die. I have come here to register my protest against the chopping of trees.”
Stating that Bengaluru has already turned into a concrete jungle, another protestor Vasudev, who came along with his daughters Sonal and Sejal, said, “The steel flyover is definitely going to cause a lot of hazard to the environment so we are doing our little bit to save the city.”
Geeta Belliappa, a resident of High Point said, “Instead of steel flyover for which 812 trees will be chopped, the government should come up with alternative solutions to improve traffic issues.”
The citizens are upset by the prohibitive cost for the flyover and questioned how can the project cost keep on increasing while the price of steel in the market had come down. They alleged the government was pushing the project so serve the vested interests of politicians.
Seventy-six year old T. Vidyadhar, president of V.V. Nagar Welfare Association said, “The city weather has undergone lot of change in the past few years. Projects like steel flyover will make the situation worse.”
