Vehicles again in Cubbon Park? No WAY.
#TrafficFreeCubbonPark cd traffic restart? Letter written to Chief Sectretary on this below. #Heritagebeku petitioned this , shared expert opinions , after it was discussed and supported by both officers and ministers, and then unanimously passed on 30 June at BBMP Council. Cubbon Park, the flora & fauna, ecology and air flourishes during the lockdown with no traffic.
And now we #hear that in an absurd roll back to pre Covid Times , the GoK plans to restart traffic in Cubbon Park from Monday. Really ? For what joy?
Citizens have collaboratively worked on this and its a good thing - no more slaughter of Cubbon park. Like Lalbagh has for two decades, Cubbon Park must be traffic free too . Not rocket science.
Hope the GoK resolves it ASAP. Please share.
Links:
Petition: change.org/TrafficFreeCubbonPark
Blog link : https://www.heritagebeku.com/post/365-day-traffic-free-cubbon-park-it-s-our-central-lung-space-natural-heritage-myrighttobreathe
Mayor Support : https://twitter.com/bbmp_mayor/status/1277535689387593728?s=21
https://www.deccanherald.com/city/focus-bengaluru/cubbon-park-call-for-traffic-ban-856040.html
https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/convert-cubbon-park-to-no-traffic-zone/article31892923.ece
https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/a-good-move-but-requires-caution/articleshow/64324505.cms
https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2020/jun/23/stepping-up-for-lung-space-2159972.html
https://www.deccanherald.com/content/532893/can-cubbon-park-free-traffic.html
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Saturday, 22 August 2020
The Chief Secretary
Government of Karnataka
Vidhana Soudha
Bangalore 560001
Dear Sir:
Subject : Proposed Reintroduction of Vehicular Traffic in Cubbon Park wef 24 Aug 2020
#CubbonParkUlisi. Heritage Beku has made an impassioned appeal to the government to ensure that Cubbon Park , which has been untouched by traffic for the last five months of Covidand slowly regaining its air quality, greenery and flora & fauna ,and continue this traffic free status. We were glad that BBMP had passed this unanimously on 30 Jun 2020. We hear that this is rolled back, perhaps by oversight. While it may be untrue, we strongly protest any retrograde move to roll back Traffic Free Cubbon Park.
Please note that we had done the following:
1. One, an online petition (www.change.org/TrafficFreeCubbonPark) to confirm the basis on which a traffic free Cubbon Park is required for both the health of the city, the Park and its citizens. Expert opinions were taken
2. Second, we sent out a detailed letter to the Horticultural Secretary, BBMP commissioner & Horticulture Minister and your good self, summarizing our request and asking for action. Glad to hear that both the horticultural secretary , the BBMP commissioner as well as several ministers were positive about this and supported this excellent move to keep Cubbon Park pristine and pollution free.
3. Third, we also spoke to several other experts and gathered their inputs along with stakeholders like the traffic police, who felt that while managing full traffic might be difficult, a few changes in direction and one ways would resolve a lot of the problems, particularly given the metro and future suburban rail . We also spoke to several people on the provision of buggies, cycles and EV vehicles to support the elderly, differently abled and children to access and move around the park .
4. Fourth, a letter was sent to the Hon Mayor and he was gracious enough to completely support this idea and the various experts' opinion on the subject. The need for Traffic. Free Cubbon Park was presented to the BBMP Council on 30 June, and unanimously passed ( he extract of that meeting, and press clips on this is enclosed) .
5. Fifth, a dipstick study on current traffic movement by both citizens and the traffic police we consulted, shows hardly any traffic impact on this. In fact one of our team Mr Dugarreached the DCP Traffic Mr Narayan at that time, and he also had mentioned that it could one managed, provided the Hudson Circle area, stadium and one way were addressed.
Therefore we were surprised to hear today that Bengaluru Coordination Committee plans to reintroduce traffic back into Cubbon Park this Monday, thereby putting an end to the current ecological status , and the painstaking build-up of the precious environment and air quality of Cubbon Park in the last five months. The benefit of a few minutes of traffic speed is completely offset by its negative and irretrievable environmental impact. We finally had a chance to see Cubbon Park at itspristine, aesthetic and environmental best, just like the traffic free Lalbagh is. Now that we have seen and experienced how it benefited the park, it is a shame that our system chooses to rollback progress and good environmental practice by taking the easy route of infecting Cubbon Park with vehicles again.
As citizens & civil society we absolutely insist that you retractthis retrograde, disastrous move as this was already a settled matter. The citizens are united together on this issue and will stand tall to protect our beleaguered Cubbon Park from assaultby polluting vehicles. You are committed to the city and its sustainability too so we fully trust we have your full support on this. We look forward to a categoric confirmation on proceeding in the right direction on maintaining and protecting Cubbon Park.
Look forward to your prompt and positive response.
Thanking You
Yours Sincerely
Priya Chetty-Rajagopal
Heritage Beku
CC: All concerned
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