Regional park will come up in Kamanagatta

Regional park will come up in Kamanagatta

The Hindu

BANGALORE: To protect the city's valley areas from further encroachment, the Comprehensive draft Master Plan 2015 has suggested that some areas near it be demarcated as regional parks.

A large portion of the land to the west of Kamangatta in the Kengeri planning area has been demarcated as a regional park in the Master Plan. This strip of land is squeezed between the BDA's proposed ring road and the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC). Similarly portions of land near the Arkavathy have been suggested for parks. "The areas near the valleys are prone to encroachment, especially when they are well connected by road. We need to find a way to protect it," said an urban developer with the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA).

SEC Creocean, the French consultancy company, which helped the BDA to draw up the Master Plan are collating data to find out the extent of encroachment in the valley areas. "We have done an extensive study of the valleys in the city. We are now planning to compile it into a report," said an urban developer with the company. The BDA's peripheral road is coming up in the green belt as is the BMIC project. Over 100 metres of the peripheral road will eat into the green belt in the eastern part of the city as will the BMIC roads, which follow a similar pattern.

BDA Commissioner M.N. Vidyashankar said given the expected growth of the traffic in the city by 2015, the peripheral road is essential.

60 complaints

Over 60 suggestions and complaints were received from the public at day four of the public viewing of the maps and documents of the Comprehensive draft Master Plan 2015. All of them were handed over to P.S.S. chairman of the independent commission that has been instituted to look into it and give suggestions.

Several members of the public had doubts over land use that has been suggested by the draft plan. It allows for mixed land use. For example, in Jayanagar, the new draft plan allows for residential use, petty industry use and for the building of kalyana mandapams.