There is a global consensus that this pandemic is a wake-up call in how we set the new normal. Slipping back to old ways will be read as a sign of incompetence and wilful apathy in not willing to see the obvious. Societies that don’t learn to adapt, as history tells us, will be left behind losing all opportunities to grow and prosper. Bengaluru is not one of them. We have always led by taking risks, making dynamic changes and coming together as one family. This is one more such opportunity for us to adapt and make that change when no one else is. Consequent of the lockdown, Bengaluru’s air pollution rate has dropped by over 40% just with vehicles off the road. We know its impractical to continue this way, but with over 40 of the world’s major cities planning to go cycle and pedestrian-friendly, its time our city show the same intelligence and pro-environment action. We must not miss this window of opportunity to rethink our roads which will be difficult if things go back to old normal. Why? 1. We have made tremendous gains in air quality these last few months and must find ways to sustain this for the long-term. If NY, London, Berlin, Paris and others can, we can too. 2. It is widely accepted by experts that this virus is not going to abate anytime soon and the only way to mitigate spread is by social distancing and personal hygiene. 3. Public transport and Metro systems worldwide has seen an 80% decline in usage due to high transmission risks in them. 4. Going back to personal motor vehicles, experts agree, will not just congest the roads but most importantly will again pollute the city air which will worsen our respiratory system’s ability to fight a virus that attacks it. This is one major reason why cities around the world are prioritising cycle-friendly roads. 5. Cycling/walking is a proven way to ensure public health and general well-being. Collective voice forces political action and it is important for us as a progressive city of the world, to enable and encourage non-motorised transport (NMT) on our roads as our commitment to doing our bit for the environment. Here’s what we ask our CM together: 1. Provide temporary pop-up bicycle tracks connecting industrial areas to efficiently restart the economy in a safe, environment-friendly and congestion-free mode. 2. Opening busy shopping streets as ONLY cycling and walking zones across the city and closed for motor vehicles to enable social distancing and safer retail activities. (for e.g., Church street after widening its footpath, reducing the carriage-way width and adding cycle-parking facilities has considerably spiked foot-falls into its businesses while reducing vehicular congestion). 3. Approve an NMT policy for the city and empower DULT to prepare a Comprehensive NMT plan for the city as well as an action plan to implement this. 4. Create an NMT cell headed by a technocrat - NMT Special Commissioner within BBMP. 5. Earmark a budget of 500 crores every year to BBMP NMT cell to ensure all streets in Bangalore have a useable footpath and are made cycle-friendly as per the Comprehensive NMT Plan & Action plan by DULT. Through this show of public opinion, the good citizens of Bengaluru want its elected leadership to show favourable political will in achieving what no other major city in India has done. Political will is directly proportional to the groundswell of public support. Help this petition reach every Bangalorean so we can proudly put our city on the map of global cities that not just beat the pandemic but shine its light to others in making brave new changes. Sign the petition NOW!

UPDATE 1. On 5 February 2020, Fridays for future along with citizens of Bangalore participated created a Human Chain to protest against the cutting of trees. 2. On 6 February Some citizens met Deputy conservator of forest and asked him to intervene but DCF suggested that tree authority can only send recommendations and are under a lot of pressure to pass the order for clearing of trees. 3. On 14 February Children protested in their school and outside on Sarjapur road to talk about the felling of trees in the green heart campaign. 4. February about 35 citizens from Bangalore visited KRDCL office to deliver petition and talk to MD about the project. MD denied the need for EIA or public consultation for any road widening project. Over 30 RTI were filled by citizens on 14 February regarding the project. 5. Citizens did not receive any updates on the RTIs even after the one month of filing RTIs. 6. KRDCL has issued orders to fell the trees in Anekal Taluk as part of the project. The process would start on 8 July. These are very difficult & unprecedented times. We never expected that a tiny virus like COVID-19 will bring life to a standstill for months. We are all still grappling with the effects of a less understood VIRUS and with even lesser understanding of how to combat it, and this is a ZOONOTIC DISEASE. One of the causes for repeated emergence of zoonotic diseases is due to wild animals’ habitat deprivation, the animals dead or alive interacting with HUMANS & hence such ZOONOTIC diseases spreading & mutating causing irreversible damages to humans & our way of life. It is ironic that during COVID-19 pandemic, the Forest Department has given orders to clear trees, in spite of all requests by COURT to stay any such action, by issuing permission to fell them and widen roads. This is CONTEMPT of court by your department. Bengaluru, our green cover is under threat once again. 8561 trees are proposed to be cut for a road-widening project, in order to decongest the tech corridor. Existing two-lane and four-lane roads will be converted into four-lane and six-lane ones on the stretch between Bannerghatta, Sarjapur, Mandur, Anekal and Whitefield. Some of these trees are over 80 years old and include peepal, banyan, tamarind and other species. In just the past couple of years, air pollution has risen drastically in Bengaluru, with construction dust, garbage burning and the rise in private vehicles leading to more emissions. In the midst of this, the city's old trees are a natural buffer and their loss for development projects will lead to worsening impact of climate change, not to mention the health effects of air pollution. This is what the project looks like in a nut-shell. - 4 Projects - Estimate 2000 + crore - Cost per km - 8.44 crore - Numbers of trees to be cut - 8561(according to official number, actual numbers may be higher) - Lack of Transparency - No Detailed Project Report - Available in public domain -- Number of public consultation done on the project - zero -- Public consultation about tree cutting - -- On December 24, members of trees authority came unprepared to answer citizen questions. -- On 20 Jan 2020, order issued that jurisdiction of trees outside BBMP does not fall under Tree committee! Bangalore has always been known as the Garden City. However, rampant development due to unplanned real estate and road widening projects, we are on the path to losing that tag. We are moving backwards, destroying our green cover for a concrete jungle even as other countries realise the true meaning of development without sidelining the environment. We cannot let this happen. Sign this petition now. Reference https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/krdcl-proposes-to-fell-8561-trees-on-citys-outskirts/articleshow/73502165.cms