Bellandur residents oppose road-widening plan

Residents of Bellandur are voicing their concerns over the proposed road-widening project from Lower Agaram to Sarjapur in Bengaluru, announced by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who also holds the Bengaluru Development portfolio, on Saturday. The Defence Ministry has agreed to hand over 12.34 acres to the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) to facilitate the widening, which is part of a broader strategy to reduce travel time from M.G. Road to Bellandur.

Despite the intentions behind the project, many locals believe it could lead to unintended consequences. Residents argue that the plan, especially the proposed Ejipura-Agara connectivity, will only cause more congestion in the area, particularly near key points in the IT Corridor.

Vishnu, a member of the Bellandur Development Forum, expressed his frustration saying, “The proposed Ejipura-Agara connectivity will cause more harm to the IT Corridor. We will all get stuck at Iblur and on these flyovers eventually if this plan goes through.”

Aditi Roy, another member of Bellandur Development Forum, questioned the project’s scope and effectiveness. “Why not extend the widening all the way to Sarjapur if the goal is to decongest the IT Corridor,” she asked. “If the metro is the reason, expedite the Iblur junction upgrade and ensure the Sarjapur Road metro project is swiftly approved. Key junctions such as Haralur, Kaikondrahalli, Doddakanneli, and Carmelaram, along with the Outer Ring Road (ORR) near Ecospace, Kadubeesanahalli, and Marathahalli, should be addressed in a comprehensive plan.”

Both residents emphasised that while they support enhanced connectivity, the current proposals are fragmented and serve as “pet projects” instead of part of a coordinated, long-term urban planning strategy.

Mr. Vishnu urged the government to operationalize the Bangalore Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA), introduce more AC/mini buses to the area, and expedite land acquisitions for other pending projects, such as the Sarjapur road widening.

Published - September 29, 2024 09:08 pm IST