The residents of one of the city’s oldest layouts in Shantinagar ward are fighting to save a plot of land and convert it into a park.
They recently came to know that a 20,000-sq.ft civic amenity site at 7th Cross, Lakshmi Road, which had been under legal dispute, was auctioned by the Bangalore Development Authority. They conducted a signature campaign and have amassed over 1,000 signatures from residents.
N.A. Haris, MLA of Shantinagar Assembly constituency, along with the residents, met BDA Commissioner Rajkumar Khatri on Saturday requesting that the area be converted into a park. “We came to know recently that the BDA has auctioned the land. The layout was made 50 years ago, it’s practically the only piece of land left. No one’s opinion was sought before auctioning the land,” Mr. Haris said.
Shobha Rander, a member of Shantinagar Residents’ Welfare Association, said the ward suffers for want of green space. “There is one park across the busy Hosur Road but the traffic is so much, elders and young ones find it difficult to cross,” she said.
Neetu, another resident, said there is no place for children or elders to spend some time in the open. “My children don’t have place to play around in Shantinagar. When children play on the roadside, a parent monitors them to ensure they are safe, because there is a lot of traffic on the road,” she said.
Twelve-year-old Jainav said they have to cross two main roads to reach the nearest ground. “We don’t have any place to play, what do we do?”
Balachandar, another resident, said residents have been demanding a park for more than two years and were taken aback when the land was sold so quickly.
