Little hands paint their angst over city's green loss

“Our schoolbags are already heavy, we don’t want to carry oxygen cylinders.”
 This was the plea of hundred odd children who took part in a painting fest organised by Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB), the group spearheading the ‘Steel Flyover Beda’ campaign.

The music and art session titled ‘Makkaligagi Ulisi, Namagagi Ulisi’ was organised on Palace Grounds on Sunday.

With sketch pens, crayons and watercolours, children of all ages expressed their thoughts on environment and the changing landscape of the city. Setting the mood for the event, singer M D Pallavi Arun sang songs in Kannada about nature.

Akshaya, a class 4 student, drew a man with a noose going around his neck and the tree with a thought bubble ‘Haha! Kill yourself by cutting me’.

Several such metaphors could be found in the children’s artwork. Class 6 student Abhiram Alavilli’s drawing showed an axe named ‘Steel Flyover’, cutting down a tree.

Describing what he feels about the city, he said, “Bengaluru used to be healthy but now it needs to be taken to a hospital because of all the pollution.”

Bengaluru-based artist S G Vasudev, known for his  “Vriksha” (Tree of Life) series, appreciated CfB for involving children in the movement to save the city. “I don’t know whether this will have an impact on the government or not but it is important for children to know about the environment,” he said. Children eagerly showed him their paintings and got them signed by him.

Tara Krishnaswamy, a representative of CfB said, “We are waiting for the next hearing before the National Green Tribunal which is on November 25. If the decision is unfavourable to us, we will be out on the streets. Meanwhile, with events like these we want to keep the movement going and discussions around the issue to continue.”

“We are also hoping that the issue will be raised in the Assembly tomorrow (winter session of Karnataka Legislature will begin in Belagavi from Monday) by the Opposition,” activist and theatre personality Prakash Belawadi said.
 
Will go ahead with project: George
Bengaluru Development Minister K J George continued to bat for the steel flyover on Sunday, despite stiff opposition from a section of citizens.
“The National Green Tribunal has stayed the proposal. Once the stay is vacated, we will go ahead with the project,” he told reporters after inspecting the National College Metro station. He reiterated that 80,000 trees would be planted for chopping 800 trees.