Signature campaign against construction near Sankey Tank

Citizens protesting against a housing project proposed next to Sankey Tank, in Bengaluru, on Saturday.

The thought of towering residential complexes pushing at the fringes of the popular Sankey Tank saw numerous protesters come out on Saturday against the project that “will destroy” the green spaces in the tank area.

In the eye of the controversy is the nearly 7.2-acre land that is being jointly developed by Mantri Developers and Gulf Oil Corporation on the tank-bed.

“Though the issue has gone to court twice, we will not give up the struggle. We will start a movement to boycott the builders,” said Chidanand Kulkarni from Save Sankey Trust. The trust continued its signature campaign against the project on Saturday.

Freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy, who submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, said the government should spell out its stand clearly on the topic. “If buildings come up, sewage will flow into the lake and the greenery of the area will be spoilt. The government must commit to stopping this project,” he said.

The area has more than 1,300 trees and is home to bats, slender loris, and numerous species of birds and animals.

Apart from residents’ welfare associations and environmental organisations, the protest drew support across the political spectrum. Malleswaram MLA C.N. Ashwath Narayan from the BJP and the former Congress MLA N.L. Narendra Babu were among those present. “We have been struggling against the project since 2003. The government must protect the lung spaces,” said Mr. Narayan.