On the one hand, under the High Court's direction, the Government of Karnataka issued a notification on the 11th of August 2021 to survey all lake buffer zones, and to clear any construction on the buffer zones; and on the other hand, our dear Bruhath Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is proposing a road that blatantly violates the Lake Buffer zone!? Which world are we all living in?

Is this a case of Protector turning Violator, one where the Fence eats the Crop?  

And it get's murkier:  

THE BBMP HAD COMMITTED TO THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, when it earlier notified this project in 2017, THAT THEY WOULD NOT FORM THE ROAD WITHOUT GETTING CONSENT FROM ALL PARTIES AFFECTED!  Incidentally, except for Prestige and Embassy who are real estate developers, whose properties lie on the Lake Buffer Zone, none of the other parties have given consent, in fact, they have all written letters of objection to the BBMP.   

So, not only is the BBMP violating the Lake Buffer Zone, it is also in Contempt of Court!    Why this mad rush to violate?

The origin of the problem - a shabby Masterplan by BDA:

In the RMP 2015, which is what the BBMP is referring to, the BDA officials who made the map of this area, conveniently left out the entire PATTANDUR AGRAHARA LAKE 54 - it had vanished from the face of the earth! They left out an entire lake in the land use maps, can you imagine that?  And then the BDA conveniently inserted a Road Project directly on top of the location where the lake is present.   And this is the error that get's perpetuated!

Miraculously though, in RMP 2031 maps, the BBMP have corrected their error.  They have reinserted the Pattandur Agrahara Lake, and they have removed the wrongly designed Road Project from the map.   

However, the BBMP continues to use the old faulty RMP 2015 map, and a project that is illegal!   

NOBODY WANTS THIS ROAD: 

Residents of the area held two public protests, filed 2 PILs, submitted petitions to officials and public representatives and the CM, and eventuallly, submitted a public petition with more than 1000 residents signing, opposing this road project.  Then the BBMP had put the project on hold.   

Now, claiming that they have modified the alignment away from the lake, the BBMP has re-issued a notification.  But, the new alignment is very clearly in the Lake Buffer Zone.  The move by BBMP seems to be very deliberate.  

Not only that, they have even proceeded with clearing of land, that falls on the Prestige Developers property.  This, despite it being a clear contempt of Court!  

All this points to only one thing:  About 50 acres of land around the lake are Benami properties belonging to an Ex Minister.  There is just no other explanation for this blatantly malicious effort at road formation.  It is not in public interest.  It is not in the interest of the environment or ecology.  It offers no solution to transport or mobility (there are 4 other alternatives within a 1 km radius).  It is opposed by everyone in this area.  

IT IS A ROAD PROJECT THAT NOBODY WANTS, EXCEPT FOR SOME LAND SHARKS!  AND THE BBMP IS BEING MISUSED BY THEM!  

WE CITIZENS DEMAND THAT THE BBMP AND BDA SCRAP THIS PROJECT PERMANENTLY!

CALL TO ACTION 1:

Please tweet to the decision makers now by clicking on this link! 

CALL TO ACTION 2:

Please share to whatsapp groups/contacts using this link!