Santosh Hegde sees 'sinister' design in new steel flyovers

People share their vision of city on 1st anniversary of Beda campaign

Former Lokayukta Justice (retd) Santosh N Hegde said there was something "sinister" in the state government's proposal to build two new steel flyovers.

Speaking to about 500 people who had gathered to celebrate the first anniversary of the successful SteelFlyoverBeda protest, he said steel flyovers had been declared unscientific but the government was creating them here.

"When economists say steel bridge is not economically viable, when environmentalists say steel bridges will increase the temperature, we are building them in our city that saw temperature rising to 40 degrees Celsius last year," he said.

Stressing the need to fight to protect the city, Justice Hegde said: "Throughout the globe, they are dismantling steel bridges. They (the government) heeded the pressure from people and abandoned the steel bridge. Now, they are thinking of two more steel bridges. We have to check how right the government is."

He urged people not to differentiate between parties when it comes to the fight for justice. "This is not about which party or which government is in power. All political parties think like this when they get power," he said and added that the culture without ethics that respects money and power needed to change.

80 organisations

Eighty organisations, including residents' welfare associations, took part in the Beku Beda Santhe, each throwing light on issues and highlighting different aspects of civic problems.

Cultural events

Dollu Kunitha, skits, folk and theatre songs became the medium to communicate the seriousness of some of the civic problems dogging the city.

Children's corner

Children drew and painted their vision of the city. Most of their work focused on the garbage problem, the disappearing greenery and global warming.