‘No concrete jungle on Race Course land’

‘No concrete jungle on Race Course land’


S S ShreekumarFirst Published : 19 Jun 2009 07:46:28 AM IST
BANGALORE: The state government’s plans to construct a 100 or 200-storey commercial complex might not come unstuck. For some environment groups are planning to initiate a signature campaign to save the greenery that abounds there now.
Vijay Kumar Misra, a tree warden appointed by the state government itself and who is also the secretary of the UVCE Layout Citizens’ Association in Basaveshwarnagar, said that as “concerned citizens, we will do whatever possible to make sure that the land is not commercially exploited”.
“Only recently, due to road expansion around the race course, hundreds of trees have been felled. A single tree provides oxygen to 20 people. So imagine the loss in terms of the environment, flora and fauna. The trees house so many birds too. The KR Circle underpass and other works has enabled traffic problems to be solved to a great extent.
So if the government wants to construct a 100 or 200 storey commercial complex, all the good work done will go waste. As the number of establishments and offices that the huge structure will house will only multiply traffic problems,” Misra told the Express in a chat.
“The vast race course land must be preserved. Whether they shift the Race Course to some other place or not is not my area of concern. But the land proposed to be commercially exploited is. If at all the racing activity there is stopped, the land must be converted into a water body, hundreds of trees must be planted and another Lalbagh or Cubbon Park in the centre of the city must be created. An amphitheatre for children can also be there. So if the government intends to do all this, then fine. If not, we will try to prevail upon the government and not allow commercial activity there,” Misra asserted. “We do not want another concrete jungle at the cost of the environment,” Misra added.
“I am going to start a signature campaign and ask all citizens to support us in this endeavour. I am also talking to other environmental groups like Hasiru Usuru, Art of Living etc. A concrete structure should not be allowed there at any cost,” Misra opined.
“Also, such a tall structure can be a security threat to the Vidhana Soudha itself.
Some terrorist can climb up and resort to shooting and endanger the lives of our elected representatives. No security can be fool-proof and it will be a great risk to build such a huge structure there,” said Misra.
“It is not that I am opposing development. Already hundreds of trees have been cut for the purpose of road widening, metro work etc. Despite the loss, it is inevitable. The CM himself assured us that for trees that are cut, double the number will be planted. So when that is the case, how can the CM not think of the same on Race Course land,” queried Misra.
“I am not sure what the Race Course authorities plan to do, but we will do our best to prevent the land from being turned into a concrete jungle,” Misra concluded.