Metro: CMH Road users‘ protests may misfire

Metro: CMH Road users‘ protests may misfire
New IndianE xpress

BANGALORE: The multi-billion dollar Metro Rail project has been facing stiff resistance from the residents and traders along the CMH Road, apart from other pockets of dissent from people at Mahakavi Kuvempu Road. But as per the revised engineering plan of the project, the residents just might be resisting without any valid reason.

After the Justice Shivashankar Bhat Committee report was submitted, the route that the rail would take along the CMH Road was revised. As per the new plan, the two proposed stations have been clubbed into one station that would come up near Arya Samaj.

There would be two 120 degree curvatures along the stretch of road, each needing an acquisition of 25 and 11 properties. The Station itself would need the space of about six properties.

The new plan and the owners of properties who will stand to lose their land are yet to be notified. The project will also not require any widening of the CMH Road, according to the plan.

This being the case, the validity of the claims of the CMH and 100 Feet Road residents is in question. The residents, who are demanding for a change in alignment to Old Madras Road, claim that hundreds of business establishments and the livelihood of several families would be affected as their properties would be acquired for the project.

The ground realities seem quite different as there will not be widening of roads. Subsequently, no shops and houses on either side of the CMH Road would be acquired, apart from those in the area where the curvatures in the track would be constructed.

After the revised plan, there has also been a reduction in the number of properties being acquired. However, Imtiaz Ahamed of the CMH Traders Association does not think the proposal holds much promise. “We welcome Metro rail in Bangalore but will not accept it on the CMH Road, even if our properties will not be affected,” he adds.