Sankey Road Trees Chopped-off overnight after a secret auction

While former Mayor Sandeshswamy and other  BJP counsellers assured there will be no road widening, current deputy mayor Harish took keen interest in this and also played a double game. He got  the auction done in a remote place overnight and told the reporters that the protesters were protesting in the morning, but agreed with him in the evening to play that he is innocent.

Despite of so many protests, and a pending case in the court, trees were chopped off. Question raises here is why is Mr. Harish so keen in this? There is something in it for him , either in Timber Mafia or in contracts for Road Widening. Can there be any Lokayukta investigation on the same? Offenders in BBMP who were responsible for this, violating the court should never be spared.

What is opposition party MLCs, MLAs and MPs doing? What is our ex-Priminister Mr. Devegowda doing? If big hand opposition MLAs and MPs would have joined the fight, definitely, something could have been done. Atleast, now, will the opposition leaders take any stand in getting an investigation done and punishing the offenders.

Absolutely shameful going by the reports and second hand info on this whole saga. Traffic density data collected by citizens was dismissed because it didn't have signature or stamp of an authorized agency. There is no public document from BBMP that shows any sort of traffic plan post road widening (at least I haven't seen one). And let us forget about any "goals" for this widening exercise (like" vehicle movement from Point A to point B should go up by X") that BBMP or greens can use later to see if they were met by this widening.

Lose-lose is the best phrase one can use to describe BBMP's approach on this project.

pls RT all of my tweets. there is a strong possibility of us getting roughed up by BJP rowdies. #sankeyroadwidening via @nikhilv on twitter

This is how sad it is getting, the way our elected representatives convince us of what is good for us.

What was the hurry to do this and why  r they doing behaving like goonda.

When it comes to Developers,  they take yrs to do it.  

Has BBMP  / BDA completed service roads complet Ring Road where land is already available with them and their r no trees to fell.  Here they do not have any urgency.

I feel its Sadhashivnagar high profile residence would have forced to do this as lot trafffic gets diverted thru residential area.  Same was the case with Kaveri Junction  ill-planed BLACK MAGIC BOX underpass where the same residence have  got it done so that they get signal free corridor to city.

Thats reason you can see that statment Sadhashivnagar Reisdence are not opposing and its Malleshwaram Residence are opposing.

@Bengloorappa, I can tell you that you are wrong about using this (don't widen Sankey Road) to have majority of residents vote against BJP MLA. What I hear is that most residents support such widening. They need to be educated about how widening doesn't help. Not their fault, because that is how anyone (a regular, lost in day to day commute, not so aware citizen) would look to solve congestion problems.

Greens may not like it, but this is how things stand today. No political party would come and say "I will ensure no roads are widened" because they know such a stand would not ensure them much votes.

There seems to be a need to alter the way we all (the aware folks, who probably know these widenings may not help) approach these situations. May be a case study of some section that was widened, perhaps a report with fictional study of Sankey Road itself with simulations, some high profile technical document is needed as a "tool in hand" to go around and win support on either BBMP's or citizen's sides.

... RWA's are out (per this DH Article)  to show support to widen the streets.

What a drama. Shame on us.

Ravi, we may not like it, but the majority does think that way (nobody would say in public, who would say cutting trees is okay, just do an anonymous survey, results may surprise)

1. My commute (my 15 extra minutes) is more important than few trees.
2. Life is all about living inside concrete walls, driving on concrete to and from another set of concrete walls. Nothing else matters. (parks, trees, recreational space, pavements)
3. I want more and more private space (cars, private compounds)

We hate sharing anything, and avoid spending time on anything that doesn't fit in #2 above.

Show me a well documented, well popularized case study on any road of Bangalore that shows or proves that road widening doesn't help. I haven't seen any.

Show me a well prepared even if half-ass masterplan that shows how we could ease congestion without widening (and cutting trees in the process) so many roads. None that I can remember readily.

Above two can be prepared by us, or we could push government or BBMP to prepare one. Without "publicity around quality proof or content", I think these tactical struggles around a road here and a tree there would continue to be painful.

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/173505/twist-road-widening-tale.html

How do you spell Prevent? See the spelling in the photo. It is spelled Privent. That shows what kind of crowd they are. It's all staged. I think the guy standing next to the auto is a BJP party worker. I have seen him in Malleswaram area.    

 It's all staged.

It has been staged in all the meetings. They are there to outshout you. They are politicians, how long will it take for them to organize a crowd of rabble rousers? 

Clearly this support of road widening is a complete sham. And this nonsense about `Widen road to prevent accidents' - its something the deputy mayor has been harping about. Its completely meaningless - there havent been any accidents on Sankey road - just delays. There may have been some fender benders thanks to the idiots who drive on the wrong side of the road and then try to squeeze in before the divider starts - but they deserve to be shot.

Ramesh

All the pro road widening protestors were from nearby poor colony. I think the Dy. Mayor had assured some 'food' after the protests. No one in the group looked like educated and had no proper leaders.

Accidents will start after road widening, speed on the stretch will increase and only to wait in the next junction. Rashing cab drivers, car drivers will not allow pedestrains to cross the road.

BBMP, which claimed that only 19 trees would be felled for widening the controversial Sankey Tank Bund Road, was saying only a half-truth. An estimate puts the number of trees being chopped at 300, along the road next to the tank. 

Source

We now read in the papers that Sankey Road widening will lead to water supply stoppage for some key areas of Bangalore. It seems BBMP and BWSSB never consulted regarding some key water pipes going through the. Copying over from a DNA report (source epaper, July 6)

four main water pipelines will have to be shifted or their heights increased

A quote from BWSSB engineer in cheif

We are not sure what BBMP is planning ... no discussion .. communication on this. No proposal has been sent

So there you go. Another point in case to prove that there is some unwanted and undue haste in widening without any proper planning exercise.

We don't need LeT or any terrorist organization, BBMP can do it very well, just like a slow death.

For trees, its the same case everywhere, check this. This is an example of slow death.

Its too much for a govt organization to get the trees cut in night, that too when the court case is yet to be heard. Also, they plan to plant saplings, but where? what about the maintainence? Who is monitoring them?

Deepak

“The fact that the road narrows down to just 12 m from 27 m, would be made clear and through this, the need for cutting trees would be explained,” said an official

Source

The very fact that a 4 lane carriage way is quoted as 27 meters wide shows BBMP doesnt know what is a lane. A city lane can be anywhere between 3 to 3.5 meters. So with 12 meters they can easily have a 4 lane carriageway without widening. Mathematics also they want to spin?