‘Dear DK’: Bengaluru residents form human chains, demand cancellation of flyover tenders

Residents, young citizens and activists gathered in Indiranagar and Jayanagar on Saturday, October 10, to oppose the Karnataka government’s proposed elevated corridors, demanding the cancellation of tenders and a shift towards public transport and other traffic solutions.Organised under the banner of ‘Dear DK’, the protests saw people from different age groups and political backgrounds hold placards, posters and roses while forming human chains along roads marked for the proposed infrastructure. Residents and parishioners of Resurrection Church also joined the protest on 80 Feet Road, which is part of the proposed alignment.The demonstrations add to growing opposition to Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited’s (B-SMILE) elevated corridor projects. Residents of Indiranagar, CV Raman Nagar and HAL have been opposing the proposed corridor between Old Madras Road and Silk Board Junction. In south Bengaluru, residents are resisting a proposed 18.5-km corridor from Ragigudda Junction to Kanakapura Road, which will be tolled.Pravar, an architect and organiser with Dear DK, said the group had three demands for Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar: cancel the tenders for all 13 proposed elevated corridors, reallocate the budget to alternative projects, and follow due process in planning urban infrastructure.“Bengaluru has built 44 flyovers in the last 20 years. You can argue that not many of them have solved traffic, right? Before we spend so much money and so much time building more flyovers, we should explore more options,” he said.Pravar questioned the emphasis on private vehicles, arguing that infrastructure planning must account for pedestrians, public transport users and the social and economic activity along the proposed routes.“Our city is not built only for cars. Our city is built for people,” he said, adding that only 7% of Bengaluru's population travels by car, while the remaining 93% depend on other modes of transport.The group also questioned the lack of public consultation and accountability in the planning process. Pravar called for the government to dissolve B-SMILE and restore the powers of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA).“The people who are managing this project, B-SMILE, are an unconstitutional body, right? They have no elected members. They don't even have a website,” he said.Asad, a volunteer with Dear DK, said the proposed corridors would affect residential neighbourhoods and green spaces across Bengaluru, including areas around Cubbon Park, Lalbagh, Jayanagar, Indiranagar and Rajajinagar. He alleged that the projects had been proposed without public consultations.Asad also alleged that more than 10,000 trees could be cut and forest land acquired for the projects, raising concerns about the environmental impact.“Flyovers have traditionally, and research has backed it, that they do not solve traffic. However, our government wants to keep proposing more and more flyovers as a solution to solve traffic,” he said.The protesters on 80 Feet Road said the proposed flyover would affect residents, businesses and public facilities, including a government hospital and a metro station. Pravar questioned the need for a flyover extending towards Electronic City when commuters could still face congestion at Madiwala and Bommanahalli.He also warned that construction could affect residents for years and leave the space beneath the elevated road dark, dusty and less accessible to pedestrians. He said the flyover would not accommodate buses and would have no footpaths.“Flyovers are a band-aid solution. It's like loosening your belt to fix obesity, right? What you need to do is go on a diet. What you need to do is think about what you are consuming, how you are building the city, who you are building the city for,” he said.Supriya Judith Benjamin, social media president of the Bangalore East District Congress Committee, said she joined the protest as a resident and parishioner of Resurrection Church.“I don't think there is a necessity for this flyover on this road,” she said, adding that the government should instead complete unfinished projects, including the flyover on Ejipura Road.Meanwhile, opposition to the south Bengaluru corridor has gathered pace since B-SMILE floated tenders for the project in August. Nearly three residents' associations called for Saturday's human chain to raise awareness about its potential impact. Residents have consulted traffic and transport experts and reviewed the Detailed Project Report (DPR).Residents have also raised concerns that the elevated road would pass within a few feet of some homes.The DPR states that traffic volumes at most junctions along the proposed south Bengaluru corridor have exceeded their design capacity of 10,000 Passenger Car Units (PCUs) per hour. Traffic growth across seven junctions is projected to be nearly 90% over 10 years. However, the DPR also proposes addressing future demand through policy changes, a shift to other modes of transport and the promotion of public transport.With inputs from Sweta Daga.