The floating of a global tender for the Peripheral Ring Road project by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) has made Ponnappa B.C., a retired government employee, very anxious. Investing his life savings, two years ago, he bought a site and built a house with the hope that he would spend his retired life peacefully. Now, he is staring at an uncertain future, fearing that the project would take away everything.
The project has also left many farmers worried. Krishnappa H.V., a farmer in Hanumanthsagara, whose 2 acres of land was notified for acquisition, said, “I have over 100 coconut trees, jackfruit, areca nut and trees of other species. Ever since our land was notified for the project, we are leading a life of uncertainty. Farmers struggled to meet bulk expenses, like for their children's marriage, medicines, etc., as they could not sell a portion of the land or do other transactions. People were also deprived of getting government subsidies for agricultural activities all these years. After causing all kinds of hardships, now after a gap of 17 to 18 years, the BDA wants to take up the project again but at what cost?”
Residents of Thotada Guddadahalli, who will lose their land and houses to the proposed Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
Some of the farmers who have properties off Tumakuru Road near Anchepalya say many of them whose land were acquired for the NICE project are still fighting for compensation and the proposed PRR will take away whatever remains.
The BDA recently floated the tender for the project for the second time to build a 73.5 km road (eight lanes), connecting Tumakuru Road with Hosur Road by integrating it with NICE Road. The project was proposed in 2005-06, but remained on paper all these years.
Factors for delay
There are various factors for delay in the implementation of the project: stiff resistance from the land owners, legal hurdles, environmental impact, changes in the plan, among others. Successive governments made tall claims about implementing the project. The cabinet giving “approval” for the project, and the PRR finding a mention in State Budgets, did not surprise many.
Ponnappa B.C., a retired policeman and resident of Thammenahalli, Thotada Guddadahalli, will lose his house to the proposed Peripheral Ring Road project. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
During the pandemic, the BDA held a public hearing on the project, but the validity of the virtual public hearing held on September 23, 2020, was challenged in the High Court of Karnataka and the court had ordered the BDA to hold a fresh hearing. Meanwhile, the BDA also took a decision to change the alignment of the road: the length of the road increased from 65.5 km to 73.5 km and the extent of the land required jumped from 733 to 1036.51 hectares.
Mid-July, the BDA held a public hearing as per the revised draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report with tight police security. Around 70 people took part in the public hearing organised by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). Demand for fair compensation, the toll on the green cover on the outskirts, various flaws, and violation of rules in taking up the project were highlighted by the participants.
B.L. Devamma in her at Anchepalya. She will lose her farm and house to the proposed Peripheral Ring Road project. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
Compensation package
One of the major hurdles for implementing the project is fixing the compensation package for the land required for the project. The BDA officials have been maintaining that as per the Supreme Court order, the land acquisition will be carried out as per the BDA Act, 1976, and the 2013 Act on the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement is not applicable as demanded by the farmers. Farmers had carried out multiple protests in the past demanding fair compensation.
Kishore Kumar, a farmer said, “We will not agree to the compensation fixed as per BDA Act. When people parted with their land for metro projects, Highway projects, and KIADB acquisition for industrial layouts, they received good compensation. Why are we forced to agree to the BDA Act? The BDA is responsible for the inordinate delay in implementing the project. Why are we paying the price for that? If the BDA cannot protect the interest of farmers, let them drop the project.”
As per the EIA report, the project cost is ₹14,934 crore, out of which ₹9,318 crore is required for land acquisition.
Cabinet’s call
The BDA was forced to scrap the previous tender floated for the project after the investors, in a pre-bidding meeting, raised questions concerning the land acquisition and sought more time to “study” the project. The BDA has been waiting for the State Government to give direction on fixing compensation. A source in the BDA said, “The State cabinet has to take a decision on fixing compensation. We are hoping that it will happen in the coming days. Fixing of compensation has been a bone of contention in implementing the project. If the compensation announced is not satisfactory to the farmers, they will oppose that. On the other hand, if the land acquisition is high, the investors may backtrack.”
The BDA wants to implement the project under public private partnership (PPP) model of design, build, finance, operate and transfer (DBFOT). The private investor or concessionaires have to bear the land acquisition and road construction costs. As per the Cabinet decision taken in February, the investor will have a lease period of 50 years to collect the toll.
The land notified at Bylakere for the proposed Peripheral Ring Road project. | Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
Questions over the need for PRR
The BDA has been making tall claims that the proposed PRR would help decongesting city traffic, offer easy access to Kempegowda International Airport (KIA), better connectivity to national highways and state highways on the outskirts, act as bypass for inter-State traffic, and offer enhanced connectivity between rural and urban areas of north and eastern parts of the city. However, PRR is not the only project that envisages easing city traffic and providing better links to the Bengaluru airport.
For instance, the Karnataka Road Development Corporation Limited (KRDCL) is implementing multiple road projects on the outskirts that include Hoskote Budigere cross to Bengaluru airport, Nelamangala to Chikkamadhure to Devanahalli, and Bannerghatta to Hoskote via Attibele-Sarjapur and Whitefield. The KRDCL claims that these road projects are at an advanced stage.
On the other hand, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is implementing Bengaluru Satellite Town Ring Road for a distance of 280 km connecting points such as Dobbaspet, Devanahalli, Hoskote, Attibele, Kanakpura, Ramangara, Magadi and others. The project will be implemented under the Bharatmala Pariyojana scheme with an investment of over ₹15,000 crore. The proposed ring road will also connect Bengaluru-Chennai expressway. The road from Dobbaspet to Hoskote is under construction. This road is likely to benefit air passengers travelling to the Bengaluru airport in a big way.
Metro too
Barring these road projects, the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) is building a metro network to Bengaluru airport under phase II A & B of Namma Metro for a distance of 55 km from Silk Board to the airport. There is also a proposal to extend the metro till Hosur in Tamil Nadu. On the other hand, the K-RIDE (Rail Infrastructure Development Company (Karnataka) Limited) will build the suburban rail network for a distance of 148 km on four corridors that will also connect points such as Devenahalli, Chikkabanavara, Heelalige, Rajankunte, Whitefield, Kengeri and others.
There is no clarity on whether the BDA has made a detailed study on how these road infrastructure and mass transit projects will help in easing traffic while proposing to implement the PRR project. People are keen on knowing whether the PRR project would compete or complement these projects.
Dattatraya T. Devare, trustee of Bangalore Environment Trust, said, “One page in the EIA report talks about the benefits of the PRR. It reads like a novel. There are no figures and no quantified benefits given about the PRR. I would really like to know what PRR is going to fulfil and which other projects such as STTR, Bengaluru surrounding road projects and extension of metro are not going to fufil. I do not doubt the project, but somebody has to conclusively prove the need for the project.”
