Subject: Request to reconsider the proposed Elevated Corridor from Marenahalli Main Road (Ragigudda) to Kanakapura Main Road (Thalaghattapura NICE Road junction) via the BWSSB Pipeline Road

Respected Sir/Madam,

We are residents from South Bengaluru, we appreciate the intent to ease congestion, but we were neither informed nor consulted about this proposal which will have a serious impact on all the residential and commercial establishments along this corridor. Having studied the DPR, we respectfully submit the following concerns.

1. Duplicates the Metro Green Line. The DPR itself records that the Green Line already serves this corridor and acknowledges that inadequate public transport contributes to congestion. Better Green Line frequency, parking and last-mile connectivity would address this at far lower social and environmental cost, whereas more road capacity tends to attract more vehicles and is unlikely to give lasting relief.
2. Ragigudda to 100 feet outer ring road is densely populated and built right up to the pipeline corridor. Homes, apartments and small businesses stand next to the BWSSB pipeline corridor, which the DPR itself notes has no existing road. The DPR records right-of-way widths of only about 19 to 20 metres at Sarakki Market and Ilyas Nagar (which is the same behind Shimsha bhavan) against a 17.2-meter deck, plus a down ramp near Shimsha Bhavan, beside the Vaishnavi Paradise, Adarsh Gardens and Adarsh Residency apartments, that needs land acquisition. On Marenahalli Road, a second elevated structure beside the Yellow Line Metro will inconvenience residents and shop owners. The space left after the deck, piers, ramps and rotaries is minimal in a densely populated stretch, so adjoining land and structures are affected. Specific, detailed assessments have not been done for the acquisitions, although the impact of acquisition is huge for many properties.
3. Acquisition and livelihoods. The DPR provides about Rs. 489.43 crore for acquisition across 25 points, including residences, among them apartment complexes with about 400 flats. Homes, access and shops/commercial buildings stand to be lost.
4. Risk to Cauvery water mains. Up to six mains of 1.2 to 3 metres diameter run along the alignment. The DPR notes that the legal arrangements with BWSSB are yet to be discussed.
5. Loss of green cover. Rose Garden, the trees on Marenahalli Road and the greenery along the pipeline road are valuable lung spaces. The DPR estimates 75 trees will be cut, a significant loss, and we fear the real number is higher.
6. Livability. Years of construction and a permanent elevated road close to homes will bring noise, dust, pollution and loss of privacy, with added traffic on residential streets from the Rose Garden rotary and the 9th Main ramp. Small shops would lose access and footfall, and senior citizens would bear a heavy physical and emotional burden.

Our humble requests - We respectfully request you to:

• Reconsider the overall project, especially the Ragigudda to 100 feet outer ring road stretch and keep the tender on hold meanwhile.
• Evaluate public-transport-first alternatives, including better Green Line frequency, parking and last-mile connectivity and early completion of Metro Phase III, before committing to a road-only solution.
• Hold open consultations with affected residents’ associations and traders.
• Make the full DPR, land acquisition details, tree inventory and BWSSB pipeline safety assessment public, and commission an independent review by recognized mobility and urban-planning experts.

We have consulted Prof. Ashish Verma (IISc Sustainable Transportation Lab), who advised that the corridor is not sustainable and that its impact outweighs its benefits, and we have attached their opinion to this request. We would welcome the opportunity to meet you and present our case and thank you for your consideration.

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