Residents of Bengaluru’s Indiranagar once again made their opposition clear to the controversial redevelopment project involving felling of close to 200 trees of BDA complex in their backyard.
On Monday, residents under the aegis of I Change Indiranagar - a collective of eight resident welfare associations, met Karnataka Deputy CM and Bengaluru Development Minister G Parameshwara who was on an inspection drive in the city.
The residents again reiterated their demand for the project to be called off and asked if the existing buildings have to be demolished, then a park should be built in their place.
Swarna Venkataraman, secretary of Indiranagar 1st Stage resident welfare association, told TNM, “We as residents got an opportunity to speak with him today. We have been opposed to the project as it’s not going to be a new BDA complex but a huge two-tower mall and 2,500 car parking space. We are already reeling under huge problems due to arbitrary commercialisation.”
“So, we tried to address the same issue to the minister, that we do not want this, instead probably need more lung space. If you want to go ahead and demolish this building, then give us a park,” she added.
Listening to their demands, the minister said that the tender had already been awarded but promised to reach a middle ground and claimed there was no irregularity with the tendering process. He assured that he will hold a meeting with residents in the coming week on the issue.
The residents also pointed out to him the ill-effects of rampant commercialisation in their neighbourhood.
The local residents got support from United Bengaluru, a coalition of RWAs, non-profits.
Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan from the BJP also lent support to the citizens’ demand.
Earlier, residents had held protests demanding cancellation of this unpopular project. Other than the residents, BJP MLA Raghu and MPs Rajeev Chandrasekhar and PC Mohan had also joined the protest.
The residents had pointed out that the project is also illegal as it would be in violation of National Green Tribunal (NGT) regulations regarding lake buffer zones— as the site is 75 metres away from the periphery of Binnamangala Lake and 50 metres away from the primary storm water drain.