Bengaluru: The ground in Kanakapura appears to be sinking slowly because of the Namma Metro project. The road which once boasted of several 100-200-year-old giant trees, now has pebbles, stones, mud from Metro construction, potholes filled with rain water, vehicles struggling to move and a threat to human life.
“The Metro has railroaded the place, created a disaster and left a mess behind. There are tree stumps lying on the side. The road is so dangerous that every time we go here, we hope to come back alive," said Leo Saldanha, co-founder of NGO Environment Support Group., who claims to have seen two deaths on Kanakapura Main Road ever since BMRCL's Reach 4B work began.
A ride down this slippery and slushy road after the Yelachenahalli Metro station proves that people's complaints are indeed true.
“They could have covered the road they dug up and continued with their construction. If this was in front of Vidhan Soudha or the city's centre, would they left it undone like this? Why is this negligence on the outskirts," Mr Saldanha asked.
Environment Impact
The environment impact is far worse than what one could have imagined. Environmentalists like Mr Saldanha and Vijay Nishanth, a member of the Tree Committee, point out that the soil is sinking. The strong roots of heritage trees towering over the road used to hold the earth together. After their axing, there is nothing to hold the soil together, causing it to become loose and sink in. “BMRCL bypassed us and cut the 44 trees. They claim to have replanted thousands of saplings, but won't tell us where exactly. The age-old trees used to reduce the temperature by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius, keep the air fresh and recharge underground water," explained Nishanth, adding that even the footpath has been removed for Metro civil works.
Nature lovers say that corruption in the Forest Department and BBMP allows BMRCL to violate one court order after another and sidelining their own Tree Committee.
