In a surprising move, the much contentious public consultation meet for the Bengaluru Peripheral Ring Road was held on Tuesday as scheduled. The meeting was widely reported to have been postponed, including by TNM, as announced by Forest Minister Anand Singh. The minister had decided on the same after demands by a section of activists owing to COVID-19 regulations.
On the same day, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) head office was shut down as three staffers tested positive for the coronavirus.
The meeting drew widespread interest as the project involves the uprooting of 33,800 trees. The PRR involves laying 65.5 kilometres of an eight-lane road network between Tumakuru Road on the west and Hosur Road on the east via Ballari Road and Old Madras Road.
Due to the ambiguity of whether the event would be held or not, many who wanted to attend the event did not make it to the venue.
Vijay Nishanth, Bengaluru-based conservationist and a member of Biodiversity Management Committee of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike who attended the meet, termed the proceedings as “sham.” He demanded that a fresh meeting be held in the middle of the city so that it’s easier for all city residents to voice their opinions.
“First of all, there was a lot of confusion if the meeting was happening or not. I also came to know about it at the last moment. I also heard that many people couldn’t get out of their houses as they may be locked in containment zones. So I asked for a single email ID where people can send their feedback. They have agreed for a virtual meeting on September 3 where they will allow people in batches of 150,” he told TNM.
BDA Commissioner Mahadev R told TNM that the details of the September 3 meeting are yet to be finalised, but will be widely publicised in advance for the convenience of the public.
The project has attracted opposition since the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report was recently made public. It noted other than the large number of trees being uprooted, it would adversely impact many water bodies.
Citizens for Bengaluru, an activist group which had asked the forest minister to postpone the meeting due to COVID-19 risks, said that they will decide their next course of action following internal discussions and with other citizen groups