From esg@BGL.VSNL.NET.IN Thu Dec 25 17:15:29 2003
Date: Thu, 18 Dec 2003 02:31:42 +0550
From: ESG India
To: nathistory-india@Princeton.EDU
Subject: URGENT APPEAL: Critical Meeting on BMIC Project: URGE CM OF
KARNATAKA TO SHELVE BMIC PROJECT
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Dear Friends,
Over the past few years we have constantly addressed the many complicated issues
of the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project (www.esgindia.org or
www.indiatogether.org/campaigns/bmic), proposed by M/s Nandi Infrastructure Corridor
Enterprise Ltd. (www.nicelimited.com).
We have requested you to actively engage with various decision makers urging
them to abandon this preposterous proposal. For a project that was initally
mooted in 1994, there has been hardly any progress. Though there have been a
variety of institutional and project support mechanisms developed in support
by the Karnataka Government, still the project did not secure enough momentum
and till date no physical development has been achieved.
The Chief Minister of Karnataka expressed his serious doubts on whether the project
should be required at all. Reports of his statements expressing support for
the widening and rationalisation of the existing highways between Bangalore and
Mysore are attached/enclosed.
The Karnataka Government will finally decide the fate of the BMIC project in
a couple of days. It is extremely important that the Government's decision is
guided in support of securing the wider public interest, and needless to state,
this would involve rejecting the BMIC Project of NICE.
As you are aware the BMIC Project involves the development of 5 new cities between
Bangalore and Mysore in Karnataka State, and the building of a 6 lane toll based
expressway. This project will directly affect over 180 villages in four districts
and would potentially displace close to 200,000 people and destruction of 21000
acres of farm, forest and riverine areas.
The cruel irony is that such displacement of farming and landless agricultural
labourers, is proposed to accomodate the needs of the upwardly mobile urban middle
classes.
A more appropriate model of urbanisation in this region is to strengthen and
rationalise the existing road links between Bangalore and Mysore (SH-17 and NH-209)
and to double and electrify the railway tracks. The Chief Minister inaugurated
the 4 laning of SH-17 two days ago, when he expressed his indignation over the
slow progress on BMIC.
This is an opportunity to urge the Karnataka Government to abandon BMIC in light
of other more appropriate choices of urbanisation, that involve no displacement
of farming communities or destruction of forest lands, and yet energise progress
of existing urban areas.
We have appealed to the CM to take such visionary steps, and our appeal is enclosed.
We strongly urge you to please write to the CM immediately, either by email/fax
or post. You may endorse our appeal, or adapt it to suit your own appeal.
Kindly do mark a copy to us at esg@bgl.vsnl.net.in or our postal address which
is given below. Also do mark a copy to the other officials mentioned below.
Thank you for your continuing cooperation and support.
Sincerely,
Leo F. Saldanha/Rajmohan Pillai
Enviornment Support Group
S-3 Rajashree Apts.
18/57, 1st Main, SRK Gardens
Bannerghatta Road, Jayanagar
Bangalore 560041
Tel: 91-80-6341977/6534364
Telefax: 91-80-6341977
Email: esg@bgl.vsnl.net.in
Website: www.esgindia.org
Enclosure:
1) Letter of Appeal to CM of Karnataka
2) Collection of Press Stories on the CM's recent statements on BMIC
Contact Addresses:
1. Shri. S. M. Krishna, Chief Minister, Government of Karnataka, Vidhana Soudha,
Bangalore 560001. Email: cm@kar.nic.in Fax: 91-80-2353115. Tel: 91-80-2253414
2. Shri T. R. Baalu, Union Cabinet Minister (Environment & Forests), Government
of India - (mef@envfor.delhi.nic.in, mef@menf.delhi.nic.in)
3. Secretary, Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India - (secy@menf.delhi.nic.in)
4. Addl. Director (Scientific), Ministry of Environment & Forests, Southern Cell,
Bangalore (romoefsz@kar.nic.in)
5. Principal Secretary, Dept. of Ecology, Environment and Forests, Government
of Karnataka (sececoenv@kar.nic.in)
6. Principal Secretary, Public Works Dept., Govt of Karnataka, plsecy@vsnl.net
or kpwd@secretariat2.kar.nic.in
7. Chairman, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, M G Road, Bangalore 560001
kspcb@rediffmail.com
8. Environment Support Group (esg@bgl.vsnl.net.in)
ENCLOSURE 1
APPEAL TO CM OF KARNATAKA
Shri. S. M. Krishna
Chief Minister
Government of Karnataka
Vidhana Soudha
Bangalore 560001
17 December 2003
Reg.: Appeal to Shelve BMIC Project permanently
Respected Sir,
You have rightly expressed your indignation on the negligible progress on the
Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project (BMIC), when inaugurating the
4-laning works by Karnataka Road Development Corporation Ltd. (KRDCL) of the
Maddur-Bangalore section of SH-17 (Bangalore Mysore Highway). You would save
the State of Karnataka enormous losses and an un-sustainable financial burden,
while also protecting farmers of the Bangalore Mysore region from gross injustice,
if you were to firmly state that the BMIC project would be abandoned.
Such action would win you immense support from hundreds of thousands of directly
affected farming and other project affected families who have been tormented
for several years now by the BMIC proponents and Land Acquisition officers to
give up their land.
Farmers amongst the worst affected:
Please consider this assertion by a Tahsildhar to an affected farmer in Guttigere
village of Bangalore Rural District:
^ÓThis is our land. We have given the land to you to grow and eat from. Other
than that, there is no relation between you and the land. The land is the Government's^Ô.
This farmer is a fifth generation landholder, is 65 years old, and has children
and grandchildren, all depending on his small farm. Completely distressed by
this kind of language, which you will agree is absolutely illegal, untenable
and deceiving, he feels constrained to give up his land for paltry compensation,
which he claims is a fifth of the market rate. He will thus join thousands who
will be abandoned by ^Ódevelopment^Ô the BMIC project proposes.
BMIC: A Flawed Model for urbanization
Over the years, it has been repeatedly brought to your attention and to that
of many others in the decision making process, that the BMIC Project is fundamentally
flawed and has been so from the very inception. Adopting the Columbia-Maryland
model near Washington DC, where expressway and urban development cross-subsidize
each other, this is a concept that has failed even in the USA, where mobility
over long distances and affordability are hardly an issue. Further, this concept
of urbanization has never been tried anywhere else. It is thus very unfortunate
that the State's precious administrative and financial resources have been vested
in promoting this unwise BMIC project of M/s Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise
(NICE).
NICE capacity in doubt:
NICE has never been able to demonstrate that it has the technical and financial
capability to deliver such a massive project involving the development of 5 cities
and a 6-lane expressway between Bangalore and Mysore. Mr. Richard Hangen, President
of M/s Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. of Boston, USA, one of the companies claimed
to be part of the consortium supporting BMIC, is on record that his company has
had nothing to do with this project since 1995. This fact has been conveniently
hidden by NICE from the State. It may also be important to note that the Registrar
of Companies has listed Nandi Economic Corridor Enterprise Ltd., an associate
of NICE in the BMIC project, as a defaulter during May 2003. In addition, there
are many unsettled issues regarding the financing of the project, with key financier
ICICI possibly in violation of RBI directives in committing support to this project.
Questionable allotment of public lands to NICE:
21,000 acres of land is demanded for its implementation, over 7,000 acres of
which is Government held land. Per the Framework Agreement signed in 1997, this
land would be given to NICE at only Rs. 10/acre, ostensibly on a long-term lease.
Clearly this is not the kind of subsidy any project should deserve, especially
when land is a precious resource, and involves total destruction of vast stretches
of excellent forestland and riverine areas. In addition there is the troubling
issue of the wide range of tax and cess exemptions extended to the project, depriving
the State of tens of crores of rupees in revenue. There is also the issue that
the governance of the proposed new towns would be outside the purview of the
Constitutional 74th Amendment (Nagarpalika) Act.
Environmentally disastrous and socially unjust:
This is a disastrous project from the environmental and social impact perspectives
as well. There has never been a proper appraisal of the environmental and social
impacts of the project, with most reports being fudged, grossly underestimating
(or never estimating) the adverse impacts on the environment. The project involves
acquisition of large swathes of forest in Badamanavarthi Kaval range abutting
the Bannerghatta National Park. The BMIC project would thus directly obstruct
a traditional elephant corridor, and could further induce human-elephant conflicts
that have been worsening in the recent past. This is also one of the few remaining
natural forests of the Bangalore region, is found close to the city, and is a
major ecological, learning and recreational space.
The in-principle environmental clearance granted to the expressway component
of BMIC by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, many conditions were laid
down. NICE has failed to comply with these conditions.
Extraction of Cauvery Water:
Extraction of water from Cauvery would increase tremendously to support the lavish
lifestyles that would be characteristic in all of the BMIC townships. Per agreements
reached, over 2 TMC feet of Cauvery's water has already been allocated to this
project. This is only an initial allotment, and the project is definitely designed
to extract much more water in future. Besides burdening the farmers by limiting
their use of the river waters for agriculture, the project is likely to further
accentuate Karnataka's knotty issue with Tamilnadu over sharing of waters.
Another significant issue of concern is the adverse impact this project would
have on River Cauvery basin as construction of townships and an expressway could
physically alter the drainage pattern, especially in the immediate vicinity of
the river. This is particularly true between Mahadevapura and Srirangapatna
where the proposed BMIC expressway and the golf tourism township would occupy
vast stretches alongside the river.
Lack of transparency in BMIC project clearance:
There has been little or no transparency in decision making on this project.
Public involvement has been obstructed actively, and marked by serious human
rights violations to suppress dissent. In Statutory Public Hearings, State and
Company representatives have actively engaged in obstructing affected farmers
from participating and targeted groups and individuals who have raised concerns
about the project. With little regard to the rule of law, many were brutally
removed from such forums.
For a Visionary and Appropriate Development of the Bangalore-Mysore Corridor:
Sir, now that you have embarked on a much-needed project to widen and rationalise
the existing SH-17 highway to four lanes, it would be a prudent and popular decision
if you firmly rejected the BMIC project. Hundreds of old trees have already
been felled in preparation for the widening of SH-17 and land necessary has already
been acquired up to Maddur. Farmers from Maddur to Mysore, who seemingly oppose
this widening initiative, as they would lose highly irrigated lands, should have
no reason to oppose if convinced that no further lands will be acquired, particularly
for the immensely unpopular and disastrous BMIC project.
The 4 laning of Bangalore-Mysore Road (SH-17) is expected to cost Rs. 330 crores
and is open to all. The BMIC project, in comparison, is projected to cost a
minimum of Rs. 4000 crores; even this large figure is considered to be a gross
underestimate. Further, the expressway is toll based and will not benefit farmers.
The townships proposed are gated and exclusive, providing no economic benefit
whatsoever to local communities.
The SH-17 expansion requires a little over 100 acres, and will be complete in
2 years. The expressway component alone of BMIC will consume about 7000 acres
and even the most conservative estimates project its completion date to a decade,
or more.
The cruel irony is that thousands of farmers and landless labourers will lose
land, livelihood and household, so housing can be developed for an upwardly mobile
urban class.
Promoting Railway Corridor Development and Intensive Development of existing
urban areas:
The Southern Railways have proposed that the doubling and electrification of
the existing broad gauge railway line between Bangalore and Mysore is clearly
feasible. Such a development will tremendously boost communication and transport,
and be affordable to one and all. Even with low project costs high returns can
be expected by boosting industrial and commercial development in the region.
It has also been attractively proposed that high density housing, along with
requisite commercial, educational, cultural and health facilities could easily
be developed on large stretches of public lands available in Railway Stations
at Bidadi, Ramanagara, Channapatna, Maddur, Mandya and Srirangapatna. Doubling
and electrifying tracks allow for faster travel speeds, making it possible to
work in Bangalore or Mysore, and yet enjoy living in any of these smaller urban
areas. Such development will not cause displacement of farming communities or
acquisition of forest and common lands. Instead it will aid these old urban
areas economically and make them culturally vibrant cosmopolitan communities.
Most importantly, it will aid in relieving Bangalore of the high pressure of
development that its weak infrastructure is now unable to bear.
The expansion of SH-17, the doubling of the Bangalore Mysore railway line and
the strengthening of NH-209 and its link to Mysore (Kanakapura Road) could together
remain a long term solution in supporting progressive urban and infrastructure
development to the benefit of all.
We urge you to adopt a just and visionary approach, and thus reject the BMIC
project.
Yours sincerely,
Environment Support Group
Leo F. Saldanha Rajmohan Pillai Bhargavi S. Rao Mallesh K. R.
Deepashree Harminder Kaur Sarita Deshmukh Dr. Subramanya Sastry
Dr. Ananth Chikkatur Padmashree Raghavan Nagini Prasad
Cc.: To all concerned.
ENCLOSURE 2
PRESS COVERAGE
The Times of India, Bangalore, 16/12/2003
HIGHWAY 4-LANING WORKBEGINS AT MADDUR
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Maddur: Exasperated over waiting for the long-promised private sector Bangalore-Mysore
Infrastructure Corridor(BMIC), the Karnataka government on Monday launched a
project to four lane existing state highway connecting the two cities.
Chief Minister S. M.Krishna, inaugurating the project here, told the gathering:''
We did everything required and waited eight to 10 years for the BMIC,but nothing
has happened. So, with vehicle density on this road shooting up from 8000 in
1995 to 35000 in 2003 per day, I opted to ask the Karnataka Road Development
Corporation Limited (KRDCL) to bring the existing road to international standards.^Ô
The first phase of the 320 Crore project was simultaneously launched at Uttarhalli,
Ramanagaram, Channnapatna and Maddur. The 12 meters- wide state highway will
be expanded to 21 meters and four laned, while the 52 curves on the road will
be straightened out ^Óas far as possible,^Ô Krishna said.
The government also plans to four-lane the road from Maddur to Mysore, but only
after sufficient resources are raised to acquire land on either side, which is
rich in sugarcane and paddy.
Krishna said the road builders were responsible for construction and maintenance
for eight years. ^ÓI did not tell the contractors to take the project and give
me some money. Instead, we called Global tenders and ensured they were responsible
for the road till the end of the warranty period,^Ô he maintained.
Later, at a news conference, Krishna announced a fund of Rs.1.25 crore per assembly
constituency for rural roads, to be allocated in the next budgets. This is in
addition to a matching amount in the current year for each constituency.
Krishna also inaugurated a 23 Crore drinking water project for Maddur town and
43 surrounding villages, a 30 lakh farmers market (raitha santhe) and a 30 lakh
police housing project.
BMIC: Karnataka public works minister Dharam Singh told reporters that he would
call a meeting with BMIC developers Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise
(NICE) and ask them for a ^Ófinal decision^Ô on the project.
Defends move: Krishna on Monday defended his decision to split the water resources
ministry into two and said such ^Ódecentralization^Ô was necessary for equitable
development of the Krishna and Cauvery basins. He declined to respond to questions
on agriculture minister H.K. Patil's visit to New Delhi, reportedly to express
his pleasure to Congress president Sonia Gandhi over being stripped of the water
resources portfolio and the department's division.
In New Delhi, Patil met AICC functionary Oscar Fernandes and is expected to call
on Sonia on Tuesday.
KPCC president B. Janardhana Poojary, who is in New Delhi, when contacted, told
The Times of India: ^ÓPatil should take it up as a challenge as he did good work
in the water resources department. Karnataka has faced drought consistently for
three years. It is an election year and we need a capable minister to come up
with innovative ideas,^Ô he contended.
Close shave for Ambarish : Even as chief minister S.M. Krishna spoke of fatal
accidents on the Bangalore-Mysore road, Mandya MP Ambarish was witness to
a serious one on Monday.
He told reporters:^Ô I was sitting inside a petrol bunk waiting for a vehicle
to me up and bring me to this fuction.Suddenly a full loaded lorry toppled
over and crashed about 10 feet from where I was. If it hit me, I would have
been finished^Ô.
KRISHNA'S QUOTES
· This road has 52 curves! heaven knows who decided it should be built like
this. May be they curved it under pressure to avoid this man's field or that
man's land. We will try to build it straight.
· Where do we raise resources from? We cannot impose new taxes on you, because
lets be honest, you will not pay them. May be I should ask Kareem Lala for funds,
but I have put him in jail and cannot ask him.
· People who say we have not done any work should experience thirst in Tumkur
or here. Only when they drink the water we have provided and quench their thirst,
will they realize what we have done.
· When I came to power, I eyed and even winked a World Bank, but they wouldn't
look at us. I followed up, met the WB chief. Now, we have love affair with them.
· Cauvery is my favorite river. But I faced biggest problems from her. If I release
water, you all are up in arms against me, if I don't, the Supreme court is up
in arms.
The Hindu, 16 December 2003
Krishna launches highway work
By Nagesh Prabhu
MADDUR (Mandya district) DEC. 15. The Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, said on Monday
that the State Government would implement an ambitious four-lane Bangalore-Mysore
State Highway Project on par with international standards.
Mr. Krishna was laying the foundation stone for the four-lane Bangalore-Maddur
highway here.
He said work on the 62.60-km. road would be taken up at an estimated cost of
Rs. 188 crores. The Government had acquired 39.36 acres to widen the road into
a four-lane highway. There would be four major bridges and 17 minor bridges on
the road.
He said the Government had decided to widen the road because of steep increase
in vehicular traffic between Mysore and Bangalore. In 1995-96, about 8,000 vehicles
used to ply between the two cities daily. This number had now increased to 35,000,
which also pushed up the accident rate.
At present, the movement of traffic between Bangalore and Maddur was slow as
there were 52 crossroads along the highway. Efforts would be made to remove these
junctions to the extent possible. The Government would pay market rate to those
who ceded land for the project. About 500 families would lose a part of their
land, Mr. Krishna said.
The land acquisition process for widening the Maddur-Mysore road had started
and the work would be taken up under the second phase of the project. The stretch
would be 49.05-km.-long and work was estimated to cost about Rs. 131 crores.
It would include 22 bus bays, three major bridges, and 24 minor bridges. About
50 acres of land would be acquired to widen the road, he said.
Road widening had been delayed for the last few years, the Chief Minister said
and added that now the Government-owned Karnataka Road Development Corporation
Ltd. (KRDCL) had initiated the work. He commended the corporation for maintaining
a track record of high quality roads with negligible cost over-run.
To improve roads in rural areas, the Government had decided to allocate Rs. 1.25
crores more to every Assembly constituency from the next financial year. The
Government had been granting Rs. 1.25 crores to each segment to undertake development
work.
The Government had been implementing watershed, irrigation, drinking water, and
health projects with the aid of NABARD, HUDCO, and the World Bank.
He said the Government had spent Rs. 10,000 crores on the Upper Krishna Project
and about Rs. 3,000 crores more would be spent to complete the works. For better
management of the Cauvery waters, he said the Government had released Rs. 500
crores this year to repair canals and distributaries in the river basin. Another
Rs. 500 crores would be earmarked in the next budget.
Deccan Herald. 16 December 2003
Maddur road completion in 2 yrs
MADDUR, Dec 13 (DHNS)
Chief Minister S M Krishna today said that the goverment had given green signal
to the ambitious project of the four-laning the Bangalore-Mysore State Highway
as the Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor project is in cold storage for
nearly a decade.
Speaking after laying foundation for the Phase 1 of the four-laning the Bangalore-Mysore
State Highway at Maddur today, Mr Krishna said, ^Óthe government started to make
alternate plans about two years ago when the BMIC project did not start. We concentrated
on widening the existing two-way road which is a significant development.^Ô
He further said, ^Óthe number of vehicles plying on Bangalore-Mysore road which
was around 8000 during 1995-96 has risen to 20,000 now.^Ô
Later, speaking to reporters, Public Works Department Minister Dharam Singh said
that they would convene a meeting within 3 to 4 days with the Nandi Infrastructure
Corridor Enterprise, the implementing agency of the BMIC, and take a final decision.
The phase I of the four-laning project between Bangalore and Maddur measuring
62.6 km which is estimated to cost Rs 188 crore is expected to be completed in
two years.
There will be four major bridges and 17 minor bridges on this road length. Phase
II of the project, from Maddur to Mysore measures 49.05 km is estimated to cost
Rs 131 crore. This will include 22 bus bays, three major bridges and 24 minor
bridges.
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