50 heritage trees saved with the support of 35,000 in our community!
No flyover on Sankey Road
ಬೆಂಗಳೂರಿನ 50+ ಪಾರಂಪರಿಕ ಮರಗಳನ್ನು ಉಳಿಸಿ
Send your objections: Save the fate of more than 50 heritage trees!
The ‘No Flyover on Sankey Road’ taught us community resilience, teamwork and the importance of our role within our communities. The win we saw with this campaign is a testament to the resilience and teamwork of our community who came together time and again when we reached out to them.
We started the campaign in collaboration with the Citizens For Sankey with the aim to save 50 heritage trees on Sankey Road that would have otherwise been cut for no good reason. The construction of a flyover on the road required the removal of these trees and would have also led to the removal of the footpaths that residents love to walk on. In a city, it is essential that we preserve the pockets where families and individuals can thrive, spend their time in leisure, and connect with nature. Removal of the heritage trees and the pedestrian space these trees provided would have eradicated all of that for the residents here. The residents were neither consulted nor provided with any information on the development of the project, which goes against what is mandated by the municipality.
Campaign Launch – January 9th 2023
After the campaign was launched, within just the first week of launching the campaign, we received the support of over 4000 people who signed our petition. We knew the campaign resonated with everyone who loved the green cover of Bangalore.
By the end of January, over 2000 children wrote to CM Shri. Basawraj Bommai, urging his government to stop the construction of the proposed Sankey flyover.
February 2023
A Rapid EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) of the proposed Sankey Flyover was published, which was created by Harini Nagendra & Seema Mundoli of Azim Premji Foundation and Vijay Nishanth of Vruksh Foundation.
Soon, our campaign received thousands of signatures. We met Mr. Tushar and Malleshwaram Commissioner, Mr. Deepak with the voices of 5000+ citizens who are against the Sankey Tank Flyover.
At the meeting, we asked him for a Detailed Project Report that the citizens can take a look at. He promised us that he would put it up on the website so that’s a big win! He agreed with us that a flyover doesn’t solve the bigger problem of Bangalore’s traffic but also stated he needs to widen the road.
Over the next few weeks, a lot more happened. Children and adults tied red hearts around the trees to show their solidarity.
Parents, grandparents and youngsters, who hold Bangalore’s biodiversity and development in their hearts came together as a community to make art for their neighbourhood. They spoke to curious passersby about why these trees – that they love so much – are important. Shops volunteered to put QR codes with our petition to say no to the flyover and citizens signed the same.
January 31st, 2023
The walk was followed by a panel discussion organised by Citizens for Sankey Malleshwaram that included 200+ residents of Vyalikaval, Malleswaram and Sadashivnagar to discuss the much-criticised Sankey Flyover Plan. A panel of experts, particularly Dr. Ashish Verma, IISC transport hub, used data and analytics to demonstrate that this flyover was not a feasible plan and provided viable alternative solutions which we Citizens presented to the government.
To further push for change, we reached out to our community again because we wanted to show the decision makers BBMP commissioner Mr. Tushar Girinath, the Malleswaram Commissioner Dr. Deepak and the local MLA, Mr. Ashwath Narayan that it was not just one or two citizens, but thousands who wanted to save the trees of Sankey Road. We emailed asking for everyone to call and leave messages to the decision-makers. To do this, our supporters called Malleshwaram area’s MLA, Mr. C. N. Ashwath Narayan and the BBMP Chief Commissioner, Mr. Tushar Giri Nath and asked them to put a halt on the Sankey Road flyover and consider alternate plans.
The urgent call to members to personally reach out to the decision makers was made because despite all our efforts and resistance of citizens the government was going ahead with their plan to cut the 50 heritage trees. This was made evident by the giant cross that was found on these trees.
February 2023
We held a silent walk to protest the cutting of the trees, in which over 200 citizens participated. Children, adults and community members of all ages and other NGOs donned in back walked around the Sankey Tank. The walk was filled with stories and conversations that further solidified why the trees matter and how important they are to everyone in the community.
An FIR was filed against Founder & former ED of Jhatkaa.org, Avijit Michael and others who participated in the peaceful protest. Once again, when we reached out to members for their support, they did not disappoint. The FIR was eventually quashed by the High Court of Karnataka, solidifying the fact that the right to express dissent, to peacefully gather and advocate for change, lies at the heart of a vibrant democracy.
“I never doubted the High Court would uphold our constitutional right, this is one more victory for active citizens and democracy.” – Avijit Michael, Executive Director Jhatkaa.org, one of the citizens involved in the case.
1st March 2023 – Milestone
Citizens for Sankey submitted a letter asking tender to be stopped and the file to be withdrawn from the DCF office. This request was promptly responded to by BBMP Commissioner Mr. Tushar Girinath who directed his file to be withdrawn from the DCF office. This means no trees will be cut or damaged until the BMLTA takes a decision on this project. A decision that is still pending.
The win we saw with this campaign is a testament to the resilience and teamwork of our community who came together time and again, when we reached out to them.
Our work is supported by community members like you, and we hope to continue working on issues that matter most to you and our environment. Please do consider becoming a member to help us keep going.