The Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor
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Dear Friends,
Over the past few years we have constantly addressed the many complicated issues of the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project (www.esgindia.org or www.indiatogether.org/campaigns/bmic), proposed by M/s Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Ltd. (www.nicelimited.com). We have requested you to actively engage with various decision makers urging them to abandon this preposterous proposal. For a project that was initially mooted in 1994, there has been hardly any progress. Though there have been a variety of institutional and project support mechanisms developed in support by the Karnataka Government, still the project did not secure enough momentum and till date no physical development has been achieved.
The Chief Minister of Karnataka expressed his serious doubts on whether the project should be required at all. Reports of his statements expressing support for the widening and rationalisation of the existing highways between Bangalore and Mysore are attached/enclosed. The Karnataka Government will finally decide the fate of the BMIC project in a couple of days. It is extremely important that the Government's decision is guided in support of securing the wider public interest, and needless to state, this would involve rejecting the BMIC Project of NICE.
As you are aware the BMIC Project involves the development of 5 new cities between Bangalore and Mysore in Karnataka State, and the building of a 6 lane toll based expressway. This project will directly affect over 180 villages in four districts and would potentially displace close to 200,000 people and destruction of 21000 acres of farm, forest and riverine areas. The cruel irony is that such displacement of farming and landless agricultural labourers, is proposed to accommodate the needs of the upwardly mobile urban middle classes.
A more appropriate model of urbanisation in this region is to strengthen and rationalise the existing road links between Bangalore and Mysore (SH-17 and NH-209) and to double and electrify the railway tracks. The Chief Minister inaugurated the 4 laning of SH-17 two days ago, when he expressed his indignation over the slow progress on BMIC.
This is an opportunity to urge the Karnataka Government to abandon BMIC in light of other more appropriate choices of urbanisation, that involve no displacement of farming communities or destruction of forest lands, and yet energise progress of existing urban areas. We have appealed to the CM to take such visionary steps, and our appeal is enclosed.
We strongly urge you to please write to the CM immediately, either by email/fax or post. You may endorse our appeal, or adapt it to suit your own appeal.
Kindly do mark a copy to us at [email protected] or our postal address which is given below. Also do mark a copy to the other officials mentioned below.
Thank you for your continuing cooperation and support.
Sincerely,
Leo F. Saldanha/Rajmohan Pillai
Environment Support Group
S-3 Rajashree Apts.
18/57, 1st Main, SRK Gardens
Bannerghatta Road, Jayanagar
Bangalore 560041
Tel: 91-80-6341977/6534364
Telefax: 91-80-6341977
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.esgindia.org
Enclosure:
1) Letter of Appeal to CM of Karnataka
Contact Addresses:
1. Shri. S. M. Krishna, Chief Minister, Government of Karnataka, Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore 560001. Email: [email protected] Fax: 91-80-2353115. Tel: 91-80-2253414
2. Shri T. R. Baalu, Union Cabinet Minister (Environment & Forests), Government of India - ([email protected], [email protected])
3. Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India - ([email protected])
4. Addl. Director (Scientific), Ministry of Environment & Forests, Southern Cell, Bangalore ([email protected])
5. Principal Secretary, Dept. of Ecology, Environment and Forests, Government of Karnataka ([email protected])
6. Principal Secretary, Public Works Dept., Govt of Karnataka, [email protected] or [email protected]
7. Chairman, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, M G Road, Bangalore 560001 [email protected]
8. Environment Support Group ([email protected])
APPEAL TO CM OF KARNATAKA
Shri. S. M. Krishna
Chief Minister
Government of Karnataka
Vidhana Soudha
Bangalore 560001
17 December 2003
Reg.: Appeal to Shelve BMIC Project permanently
Respected Sir,
You have rightly expressed your indignation on the negligible progress on the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project (BMIC), when inaugurating the 4-laning works by Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd. (KRDCL) of the Maddur-Bangalore section of SH-17 (Bangalore Mysore Highway). You would save the State of Karnataka enormous losses and an un-sustainable financial burden, while also protecting farmers of the Bangalore Mysore region from gross injustice, if you were to firmly state that the BMIC project would be abandoned.
Such action would win you immense support from hundreds of thousands of directly affected farming and other project affected families who have been tormented for several years now by the BMIC proponents and Land Acquisition officers to give up their land.
Farmers amongst the worst affected:
Please consider this assertion by a Tahsildhar to an affected farmer in Guttigere village of Bangalore Rural District: �This is our land. We have given the land to you to grow and eat from. Other than that, there is no relation between you and the land. The land is the Government's�.
This farmer is a fifth generation landholder, is 65 years old, and has children and grandchildren, all depending on his small farm. Completely distressed by this kind of language, which you will agree is absolutely illegal, untenable and deceiving, he feels constrained to give up his land for paltry compensation, which he claims is a fifth of the market rate. He will thus join thousands who will be abandoned by �development� the BMIC project proposes.
BMIC: A Flawed Model for urbanization
Over the years, it has been repeatedly brought to your attention and to that of many others in the decision making process, that the BMIC Project is fundamentally flawed and has been so from the very inception. Adopting the Columbia-Maryland model near Washington DC, where expressway and urban development cross-subsidize each other, this is a concept that has failed even in the USA, where mobility over long distances and affordability are hardly an issue. Further, this concept of urbanization has never been tried anywhere else. It is thus very unfortunate that the State's precious administrative and financial resources have been vested in promoting this unwise BMIC project of M/s Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE).NICE capacity in doubt:
NICE has never been able to demonstrate that it has the technical and financial capability to deliver such a massive project involving the development of 5 cities and a 6-lane expressway between Bangalore and Mysore. Mr. Richard Hangen, President of M/s Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. of Boston, USA, one of the companies claimed to be part of the consortium supporting BMIC, is on record that his company has had nothing to do with this project since 1995. This fact has been conveniently hidden by NICE from the State. It may also be important to note that the Registrar of Companies has listed Nandi Economic Corridor Enterprise Ltd., an associate of NICE in the BMIC project, as a defaulter during May 2003. In addition, there are many unsettled issues regarding the financing of the project, with key financier ICICI possibly in violation of RBI directives in committing support to this project.
Questionable allotment of public lands to NICE:
21,000 acres of land is demanded for its implementation, over 7,000 acres of which is Government held land. Per the Framework Agreement signed in 1997, this land would be given to NICE at only Rs. 10/acre, ostensibly on a long-term lease. Clearly this is not the kind of subsidy any project should deserve, especially when land is a precious resource, and involves total destruction of vast stretches of excellent forestland and riverine areas. In addition there is the troubling issue of the wide range of tax and cess exemptions extended to the project, depriving the State of tens of crores of rupees in revenue. There is also the issue that the governance of the proposed new towns would be outside the purview of the Constitutional 74th Amendment (Nagarpalika) Act.
Environmentally disastrous and socially unjust:
This is a disastrous project from the environmental and social impact perspectives as well. There has never been a proper appraisal of the environmental and social impacts of the project, with most reports being fudged, grossly underestimating (or never estimating) the adverse impacts on the environment. The project involves acquisition of large swathes of forest in Badamanavarthi Kaval range abutting the Bannerghatta National Park. The BMIC project would thus directly obstruct a traditional elephant corridor, and could further induce human-elephant conflicts that have been worsening in the recent past. This is also one of the few remaining natural forests of the Bangalore region, is found close to the city, and is a major ecological, learning and recreational space.
The in-principle environmental clearance granted to the expressway component of BMIC by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, many conditions were laid down. NICE has failed to comply with these conditions.
Extraction of Cauvery Water:
Extraction of water from Cauvery would increase tremendously to support the lavish lifestyles that would be characteristic in all of the BMIC townships. Per agreements reached, over 2 TMC feet of Cauvery's water has already been allocated to this project. This is only an initial allotment, and the project is definitely designed to extract much more water in future. Besides burdening the farmers by limiting their use of the river waters for agriculture, the project is likely to further accentuate Karnataka's knotty issue with Tamilnadu over sharing of waters.
Another significant issue of concern is the adverse impact this project would have on River Cauvery basin as construction of townships and an expressway could physically alter the drainage pattern, especially in the immediate vicinity of the river. This is particularly true between Mahadevapura and Srirangapatna where the proposed BMIC expressway and the golf tourism township would occupy vast stretches alongside the river.
Lack of transparency in BMIC project clearance:
There has been little or no transparency in decision making on this project. Public involvement has been obstructed actively, and marked by serious human rights violations to suppress dissent. In Statutory Public Hearings, State and Company representatives have actively engaged in obstructing affected farmers from participating and targeted groups and individuals who have raised concerns about the project. With little regard to the rule of law, many were brutally removed from such forums.
For a Visionary and Appropriate Development of the Bangalore-Mysore Corridor:
Sir, now that you have embarked on a much-needed project to widen and rationalise the existing SH-17 highway to four lanes, it would be a prudent and popular decision if you firmly rejected the BMIC project. Hundreds of old trees have already been felled in preparation for the widening of SH-17 and land necessary has already been acquired up to Maddur. Farmers from Maddur to Mysore, who seemingly oppose this widening initiative, as they would lose highly irrigated lands, should have no reason to oppose if convinced that no further lands will be acquired, particularly for the immensely unpopular and disastrous BMIC project.
The 4 laning of Bangalore-Mysore Road (SH-17) is expected to cost Rs. 330 crores and is open to all. The BMIC project, in comparison, is projected to cost a minimum of Rs. 4000 crores; even this large figure is considered to be a gross underestimate. Further, the expressway is toll based and will not benefit farmers. The townships proposed are gated and exclusive, providing no economic benefit whatsoever to local communities.
The SH-17 expansion requires a little over 100 acres, and will be complete in 2 years. The expressway component alone of BMIC will consume about 7000 acres and even the most conservative estimates project its completion date to a decade, or more.
The cruel irony is that thousands of farmers and landless labourers will lose land, livelihood and household, so housing can be developed for an upwardly mobile urban class.
Promoting Railway Corridor Development and Intensive Development of existing urban areas:
The Southern Railways have proposed that the doubling and electrification of the existing broad gauge railway line between Bangalore and Mysore is clearly feasible. Such a development will tremendously boost communication and transport, and be affordable to one and all. Even with low project costs high returns can be expected by boosting industrial and commercial development in the region.
It has also been attractively proposed that high density housing, along with requisite commercial, educational, cultural and health facilities could easily be developed on large stretches of public lands available in Railway Stations at Bidadi, Ramanagara, Channapatna, Maddur, Mandya and Srirangapatna. Doubling and electrifying tracks allow for faster travel speeds, making it possible to work in Bangalore or Mysore, and yet enjoy living in any of these smaller urban areas. Such development will not cause displacement of farming communities or acquisition of forest and common lands. Instead it will aid these old urban areas economically and make them culturally vibrant cosmopolitan communities. Most importantly, it will aid in relieving Bangalore of the high pressure of development that its weak infrastructure is now unable to bear.
The expansion of SH-17, the doubling of the Bangalore Mysore railway line and the strengthening of NH-209 and its link to Mysore (Kanakapura Road) could together remain a long term solution in supporting progressive urban and infrastructure development to the benefit of all.
We urge you to adopt a just and visionary approach, and thus reject the BMIC project.
Yours sincerely,
Environment Support Group
Leo F. Saldanha Rajmohan Pillai Bhargavi S. Rao Mallesh K. R. Deepashree Harminder Kaur
Sarita Deshmukh Dr. Subramanya Sastry Dr. Ananth Chikkatur Padmashree Raghavan Nagini Prasad
Cc.:
1. Shri. S. M. Krishna, Chief Minister, Government of Karnataka, Vidhana Soudha, Bangalore 560001. Email: [email protected] Fax: 91-80-2353115. Tel: 91-80-2253414
2. Shri T. R. Baalu, Union Cabinet Minister (Environment & Forests), Government of India - ([email protected], [email protected])
3. Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India - ([email protected])
4. Addl. Director (Scientific), Ministry of Environment & Forests, Southern Cell, Bangalore ([email protected])
5. Principal Secretary, Dept. of Ecology, Environment and Forests, Government of Karnataka ([email protected])
6. Principal Secretary, Public Works Dept., Govt of Karnataka, [email protected] or [email protected]
7. Chairman, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, M G Road, Bangalore 560001 [email protected]
8. Environment Support Group ([email protected])
ESG is an independent not-for-profit organisation that promotes the cause of environmental and social justice through research, documentation, advocacy, training and campaign support. We aim to support the rights of local communities and voiceless ecosystems in a responsible, progressive manner that keeps contextual complexities in mind.