#SaveKBR: 200 Hyderabadis take up New Year resolution to save park

About 200 Hyderabadis gathered at KBR park on Friday taking up a New Year’s resolution against the Telangana government’s plans to build multi-level flyovers. The government’s move will shrink the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) around the park. The fight to protect the park has been an ongoing effort for the past five years, but those associated with the efforts to save the park say, there needs to be more public participation.

On Friday, the protestors who gathered at the park made rangolis using organic colours and placards using recycled paper. These placards were then tied using a jute thread to the trees that are expected to be cut down for the government's Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP), which aims to expand the road width and build flyovers as a solution to raffic problems.

The KBR National Park is an eco-sensitive zone in the heart of Hyderabad. The state government intends to build six flyovers in and around the area, which they say will ease traffic until 2040. The flyover project is part of the state’s Strategic Road Development Plan (SRDP) to construct multi-layer flyovers over 20 key junctions in the city. As part of the project, initially, 3,000 trees were initially expected to be cut, the number was then brought down to 1900 and eventually down to 600.

“There is fear among the people. One family at the protest were hesitant to put up their full names on the placards fearing government backlash,” observed Kaajal Maheshwari, a citizen associated with #SaveKBR movement,” The rich don’t come to protest as they fear their businesses will get affected. The poor don’t come to protest as they have to earn a living. There is a need for more public participation,” she added.

Those involved with the #SaveKBR park expressed their displeasure with the state government’s alleged false claims to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) of having carried out a public hearing. The government had allegedly claimed that the report on the public hearing could not be made available due to the pandemic.

“We will continue educating people, submitting formal representations, doing peaceful drives, notifying the media and presenting factual evidence as a legal process if required,” said Kaajal.

Lubna Sarwath, a co-convener with Save Our Urban Lakes said, “There is enough proof that these flyovers are not required and there are huge procedural lapses in following the guidelines stated to declare the ESZ so it can rightfully fulfil its role in protecting the National Park”. The activist hoped that the government would be sensitive to the actual needs of the citizens. “Why would anybody drive in this traffic if the government came up with a mass transit system with last-mile connectivity,” she added.