Save Cubbon Park Campaign

 

 

His Excellency Shri Khushid Alam Khan

Governor of Karnataka

Raj Bhavan

Bangalore 560 001

 

                                                                                                            04 March 1999

 

Reg.:  Threat to Cubbon Park due to Government action.

 

Your Excellency Sir,

 

We thank you for providing an opportunity to meet with you and present to you our concerns over the existing and proposed threats to Cubbon Park due to Government action.

 

In our memorandum submitted to you in your absence on 30 January 1999 (copy encl.) we had sought your intervention in ensuring your Government took most progressive steps in according protection to Cubbon Park.  This especially considering that despite the stay on the de-notification of the Park ordered suo moto by the High Court of Karnataka on 2nd November 1998, the State Government pursued with the construction of the highly controversial Annexe to the Legislators Home.

 

Several Public Interest Litigations are pending in the High Court of Karnataka on this matter, and following preliminary hearings the Court has posted the entire batch of petitions for final hearing on March 16th.  Particularly considering that the matter is before the Court, it would have been most appropriate for the Karnataka Government to restrain from any further developments within the Park.  Not only would this have been in respect of the Rule of Law, but also it would have demonstrated that the Government takes people’s opinion into confidence.

 

Distressingly, a new proposal has been approved by the Government, that of putting up an effluent treatment plant on a 2-acre plot adjacent to the Bal Bhavan.  A suo moto order of Honourable Justice Saldanha may have expressed the desire for utilising treated water for the Park’s requirements, yet, considering the 2nd November order of the Division Bench of the High Court, restraint should have been exercised by the Government.  Instead the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, which is developing the plant, has called for tenders and hopes to initiate its construction with Norwegian aid by 15 April 1999. In our humble opinion, the sewage treatment plant is the right thing but at the wrong place.

 

Your excellency Sir, opinions will vary over what is the most appropriate management and development plan for our heritage Cubbon Park.  Regardless of how good or bad a development is every proposal will have to conform within the confines of Law.  We regretfully bring to your attention that Cubbon Park is more under threat today, despite three sets of legislations protecting it, than at any time in the past.

 

We therefore urge you to please take affirmative steps and stop the degeneration of the Park any further.  In this context we present to you a two point proposal, which if your august office accepts, could change the very complexion of the park, and enable in a big way the process of building confidence of the people in the Government in protecting Cubbon Park.

 

1.      Stop all contested as well as proposed developments within the legal limits of Cubbon Park, till such time the High Court of Karnataka decides on the matters pending before them with regard to the Park.

2.      Subsequent to this, the Department of Horticulture with the support of the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike should conduct a well-advertised and well-conducted Public Hearing on Cubbon Park.  Citizens should be encouraged to present their opinions, plans and programmes with regard to the management and development of the Cubbon Park, and a perspective plan developed by consensus and expert review. 

 

Such an approach, we feel would certainly limit all conflict and enable citizens to work with the Government for the protection of our common heritage, Cubbon Park.  Also this would ensure a permanent and legal settlement benefiting Bangalore’s environment, and place in the world as a progressive and law abiding city.

 

Thank you very much for hearing us and we hope to assist you in any manner that you may desire.

 

With the very best wishes,

 

Yours respectfully,

 

On behalf of the Save Cubbon Park Campaign

 

 

Leo F. Saldanha                                                           Dharma Somashekar

Coordinator                                                                  President

Environment Support Group                                         Sanmathi

 


Bimal Desai                                                                  Mythili Ashok

Public Interest Activist                                      Secretary

                                                                        Sanmathi

 

Uma Rajgopal

Treasurer

Sanmathi

 

Address for contact:

Sanmathi, 1188, 3rd Cross, 26th Main, 1st Phase, J.P. Nagar, Bangalore 560 078 Tel: 6636291, 6638513 Fax: 6637947

Environment Support Group ®, 36, Reservoir Road, Basavanagudi, Bangalore 560 004

Telefax: 6614855/6657995 Email: [email protected]