HASIRU USIRU & Environment Support Group ® 105, East End B Main Road, Jayanagar 9th Block East, Bengaluru 560069 Tel: 91-80-22441977/26531339 Voice/Fax: 91-80-26534364 Email: esg@esgindia.org or esgindia@gmail.com Web: www.esgindia.org CIVIC #6, Kasturi Apts, 2nd floor, No.35/23, Langford Road Cross, Shanthinagar, Bengaluru 560025 Tel: 2211 0584 / 41144126 / 2271 1001 / 98803 97401 E-mail: civicblore@gmail.com Web: www.civicspace.in AlTERNATIVE LAW FORUM No 4 Ground Floor 3rd Cross, Vasanthnagar Bengaluru 560052 Tel: +91- 80 – 22356845 Fax: (Fax)+91- 80 – 22370028 Email: alforum@vsnl.net Web: www.altlawforum.org Cordially invite you to attend the PUBLIC CONSULTATION on ROAD WIDENING SCHEMES OF BENGALURU: IMPACTS AND ALTERNATIVES Date: 20th December 2007, Thursday Venue: Senate Hall, Central College, Bengaluru Programme Display of Road Widening Scheme Drawings: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM Discussion on the Scheme: 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM The Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka and Members of the Bangalore Metropolitan Land Transport Authority are expected to actively participate in these proceedings. Download the road widening maps here (You will need Autocad to view them) Airport Road (1 2) Bellary Road (1 2 3 4 5) Devanga hostel Road (1) Hosur Road (1 2 3 4) Jayamahal Road (1) Kasturba Road (1) Nrupathunga Road (1 2) Palace Road (1 2) Race Course Road (1) Sheshadri Road (1 2) Background note: Known and recognised as the Garden City, a positive distinction of the rare kind, Bengaluru’s landscape is defined seasonally by the blooms in its tree lined corridors. Unfortunately, the fast changing dynamics within the city along with a burgeoning population and unplanned ‘development’ has led to the often illogical and ruthless removal of these trees. Hasiru Usiru (HU), a network of concerned citizens, has over the years endeavored to work towards finding creative means in which to conserve this identity of the city. The group has evolved from a loose informal group to one which is now recognised and appreciated for its interest in different aspects of the city’s environment and social justice concerns. The Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka decided on a PIL filed by Environment Support Group in 2005 (WP No. 14104/2005 (GM-PIL) against such indiscriminate tree felling, that all decisions relating to protection of trees or according permission to fell them would be per the Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act. The judgement also vitally recognised the positive involvement and deep concerns of the public in such processes and highlighted that the Hasiru Usiru network should be involved by the government in all its decisions on projects where trees were to be felled. The current issue: It had come to light in the last few months that the BBMP has been planning to undertake a major Road Widening scheme to accommodate the growing traffic and to deal with the congestion in the city’s core areas. This would lead to the felling of thousands of trees within the city along with the removal of existing road infrastructure -not to mention affecting a wide number of open spaces and private properties. In addition there are a range of concerns relating to rights of pedestrians, cyclists, the elderly and the physically challenged, children, pavement vendors, etc. To summarise, the scheme would result in a drastic and irreversible change in the landscape and environment of the city. Concerned about the logic of this decision, network members approached the Chief Secretary, Mr. Mahishi, on 19th October 2007 with the request of a more public and open process of decision making. The outcome was a larger discussion with the Bangalore Metropolitan Land Transportation Authority (BMLTA) on the 30th of November 2007 regarding the management of the city’s growing traffic congestion issues. Sadly, while the discussion ranged over a wide variety of topics with the mention of various internationally recognised and lauded methods of managing traffic in urban conglomerates such as charging cess on personal vehicles, increasing public transportation facilities, etc., no concrete decisions resulted from this meeting. Recognising the need for urgent action, it was felt that a Public Consultation regarding the scheme would not only benefit the public through a larger dissemination of information, but would also lead to a process which identifies the vitality of the citizens and their participation in their own city’s management. Organisers: Environment Support Group is a registered non-profit public interest research, training, campaign and advocacy initiative working on a variety of social and environmental justice issues. Citizens Voluntary Initiative for the City- CIVICs primary mandate is to generate and disseminate empowering information to the citizens of Bengaluru and to activate and mobilize participation of the local people in the planning, administration and management of the affairs of the Local Authorities. Alternative Law Forum (ALF) recognises itself as a space that integrates alternative lawyering with critical research, alternative dispute resolution, pedagogic interventions and more generally maintaining sustained legal interventions in various social issues.