Abstract

The original plan for the Bengaluru Metro Rail was approved in 2004, with the project intended to serve as a mass rapid transportation system to decongest the city’s road network. However, the nature of its design necessitated the falling of many trees across the proposed lines of coverage, including a popular botanical garden in the Lalbagh area. The decision of the government and the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to occupy this heritage spot resulted in large public fallout, and extensive protests by the public to re-align the tracks to limit such destruction.

This report looks to record and study the details of the Bengaluru Metro, and the public response to the track alignment on CMH Road, RV Road and Nanda Theatre Road stretch. It looks at some of the funding breakups as well as the interactions between stakeholders, such as the Government of Karnataka (GoK), the Government of India, the BMRCL, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), and public interests groups like Hasiru Usiru, Maraa, Sanmathi and the Environment Support Group.

It examines and details the events of major protests against the BMRCL and provides a timeline to the protests and resolutions for the same.

Chinmay. (2009). Namma metro - a study. Bengaluru: Centre for Budget and Policy Studies.