Bengaluru needs parks, not parking in parks!

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The Lal Bagh Walkers Association and the youth of Bengaluru joined together on November 11 to protest against a proposed 500 car-capacity parking lot inside the premises of Lal Bagh Botanical Garden. Initial protests were able to halt construction and the State Horticulture Department set up an expert panel to study the feasibility and impacts of building the parking lot inside the garden. Along with on-ground protests in Lal Bagh an online petition was created by the protesters to gather support and bring more attention to the issue. On November 16 activists hope to deliver this petition to the Chief Minister of Karnataka.

Prof. Sadashiv, President of the Walkers Association initiated the petition on www.greenpeacex.in [2], an online platform from Greenpeace India which allows individuals to launch petition campaigns and gather support online. This petition has gathered over 500 signatures in a few days.

Sadashiv says, “We do not want any more concrete inside the park, we want more greenery. Initially the Horticulture Department had planned to grow medicinal plants in this fertile area, which is a much better use for this land. Now they have changed their plans because they are more interested in making money than preserving the greenery. We need a lot of support and hope to reach a large number of people and more organisations to work with us through the petition on GPx.”

Sadashiv plans to hand over the petitions to the Chief Minister and the Horticulture Minister of Karnataka urging them to use the land for a more productive purpose. Initially this land was set aside to grow medicinal plants, which the protesters think would be ideal. They feel the five acre parking lot will be a nuisance in the quiet, natural surroundings of Lal Bagh and will create pollution within the park.

Large crowds are seen in Lal Bagh only during annual events like the flower show and alternative arrangements for parking can be made during this period. It is essential to protect and preserve the few remaining green spaces in a city like Bangalore which has a high density of vehicles. Lal Bagh acts as the lungs of the city and absorbs pollution and gives us fresh, clean air in return.

Sadashiv sums up, “About three thousand walkers visit the park every day among who 800 belong to the Walkers Association. All the members are unequivocally opposed to the parking lot. We have been protesting against it for 15 days now and we will not rest till the Department declares that the parking lot will not be built.”

To sign the petition and support this cause, visit http://www.greenpeacex.in/petitions/we-need-parks-not-parking-save-lal-b... [3].