Govt allows vehicles inside Bengaluru’s Cubbon Park on 2nd, 4th Saturdays

Traffic movement has been permitted from Prof Siddalingaiah Circle (Cafe Coffee Day Circle) to the entrance of the high court.

Officials stated that the move would decongest parts of the central business district.

An official said a committee chaired by the chief secretary concluded that allowing traffic would impact only 10 per cent of the park.

Activists oppose proposed Karnataka HC annex building in Cubbon Park

The Cubbon Park Walkers Association (CPWA) and environmentalists staged a protest on Sunday, opposing the construction of the proposed 10-storey annex building of the Karnataka High Court in Cubbon Park.

CPWA President S Umesh said, “The government has given the permission to go ahead with the construction of the building despite a division bench denying the same in 2019.”

The CPWA alleged that the proposed annex building will encroach upon the park area, leading to ecological imbalance.

Meanwhile, Heritage Beku, a pro-conservation group, has started an online petition to stop the project.

In 2019, the registrar of the High Court filed a petition in the Court seeking permission to construct an administrative block within Cubbon Park, near the High Court. However, environmentalists and the CPWA opposed the move.

The high court then sought a detailed proposal from the PWD to identify the location for the construction of the annex building. The PWD submitted before the Court a construction plan for a seven-storey building, which required the axing of 17 trees, road diversions, and other modifications.

However, the Court rejected the proposal, following which the PWD came up with another proposal that did not involve the cutting of trees and road diversions. “The Court later allowed the construction of the building as per the revised plan,” said an official.

An official from the Horticulture Department also argued that allowing the construction of the building would not only mean ecological imbalance but also set a bad precedent for other builders.

“The department aims to protect and conserve the natural heritage of Cubbon Park and any new construction, demolition, or modification would harm the environment,” said the official, suggesting that the building can be constructed in other parts of the city.