Closer Partnership with Railway Heritage in Bangalore

Thursday, September 3, 2020

Ms. Vinita Srivastava

Executive Director - Heritage

Ministry of Railways

New Delhi

Dear Vinita,

Subject: Closer partnership & dialogue with Railways Heritage on projects in Karnataka/Bengaluru

I know you must be well aware of this wonderful little re-creation of Malgudi days at the Arasalu Railway Station, but we at #HeritageBeku Citizen Initiative were delighted for multiple reasons - not just the connection to the quaint and innocent days of Malgudi which you have brought to life, but also on behalf of the many Railway aficionados in our group. As a fellow Chevening scholar I am especially proud of your initiative.

Kudos to the Heritage division of Indian Railways which has been spearheading many such initiatives in India, preserving a large part of a beloved travel heritage, recalling our many railway journeys to crisscross India in the most memorable way. We would be so happy to help communicate these more.

We were thinking aloud, and Heritage Beku would be delighted if we could share with you a list of small stations that could be looked at and showcased to memorize and preserve these wonderful moments of our past and the nostalgia that The Indian Railways has given us. There are many ideas – including some vintage stations in Nandi Hills and a couple of halts that remain vintage. We would be happy if you could have a word with the divisional head of Karnataka, introducing us and perhaps requesting some areas of connection, exchange and collaboration to jointly preserve our Railway heritage in Bangalore and the state of Karnataka.

Some of the railway experts in Heritage Beku or I would be happy to chat with you at your convenience to see what if any ideas we can take forward.

Look forward to hearing from you,

Yours sincerely,

Priya Chetty-Rajagopal

Founder- Heritage Beku

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Links

• https://www.doordarshannews.com/malgudi-museum-childhood-memories-come-to-life-as-karnataka-immortalises-rk-narayans-works/

• https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/the-train-will-now-stop-at-malgudi/article29341705.ece

• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mysuru/malgudi-days-museum-opens-at-arasalu-rly-station/articleshow/77437771.cms

Climate change, heritage and Cubbon Park

"According to the Sustainable Development Goals India Index 2019-2020 prepared by NITI Aayog and UN India, for States and UTs, Karnataka achieved an overall rank of six, falling from a ranking of third in 2018. While its performance continued to showcase it as a forerunner state, its performance in terms of specific SDGs namely SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities, was quite low placing it at number 18 out of 28 States.

SDG 11 seeks to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable and some of the key targets and indicators of SDG 11 include:

Target 11.4 Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage which are determined by indicators that gauge the total expenditure (public and private) per capita on preservation, protection and conservation of cultural and natural heritage be it of world, national, regional or local significance.

Target 11.6 By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management. One of the indicators to measure the target included annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g. PM2.5 and PM10) in cities.

Target 11.7 By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities. This is measured by the average share of the built-up area of cities that is open space for public use for all.

If SDG 11 specifically in terms of Targets 11.4, 11.6 and 11.7 is examined in the case of Bangalore, it would score very poorly in terms of its performance indicators. For instance in terms of accessible, green, public spaces, Bangalore averages at 2.2 sq.m of open space per person, as per a survey undertaken by NGO Janaagraha, who point out that this figure is far lower than the recommended 10-12 sq.m set by the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), India. Bangalore has unfortunately also earned the title of one of the most polluted cities in the world being ranked at number 39 in the World Pollution Index by City 2020 Mid-Year, thereby failing to reduce the adverse environmental impact of cities.

In terms of protecting, safeguarding and conserving heritage, Bangalore continues to face an uphill struggle, with infringements upon iconic historical landmarks. The introduction of vehicular traffic through one of the city’s most iconic open spaces – Cubbon Park has been one such demonstration of a lack of sensitivity to the city’s heritage. Not only does this represent a lack of understanding of the natural and cultural heritage value of the Park, but it also indicates a failure to recognise the critical function that the Park plays in the microclimate of the city.

It should be noted that there is an overall comprehension and acknowledgment of the heritage value of the Park and the many historical structures located within it, including 19th and early 20th century buildings namely Attara Kacheri, the State Archaeological Museum, and Seshadri Iyer Memorial Hall, and statues of and memorials to historically significant people. In fact, Cubbon Park has been identified as one of the precincts within the proposed Central Administrative Heritage Zone in the Draft Revised Master Plan for Bengaluru 2031. However, for such proposals to be effective a more nuanced engagement with the idea of the cultural significance of the Park in terms of clearly identified criterion of significance, needs to be undertaken. Such criterion could include those established by CPWD and INTACH which include historical significance, historical integrity and historical context in terms of ascertaining significance of architectural heritage. If an assessment of Cubbon Park’s cultural significance is considered in the context of these criterion, it would qualify to be listed as a heritage site. In terms of historical significance, it qualifies in terms of its association with events and activities that mark the establishment of Bengaluru. It is also associated with important persons such as Sri Chamaraja, Mark Cubbon and Seshadri Iyer; and is perhaps most recognisable as an integral feature of British town planning.

The historic integrity of Cubbon Park is relatively high in terms of the surviving physical characteristics including the overall layout of the Park, the existing historic buildings located within it, and equally importantly the views to and within the Park. Changing any of these characteristics could adversely impact the integrity of the site and in turn its overall significance. The historical context of the Park would also be severely impeded if changes made to and within the Park fail to acknowledge, reflect and capture the historic trends and patterns that accompanied the establishment, expansion and current situatedness of the Park in the larger context of the city of Bengaluru.

Recent schemes such as the proposal to construct a seven storey structure in the Park, and the allowance of the vehicular traffic through the Park, will prove to be detrimental to the historic setting and context of the Park. Such changes need to be assessed in terms of the impact these proposals will have on the overall heritage value of Cubbon Park, and for that an Heritage Impact Assessment needs to be undertaken that assess and establishes the significance of the Park, and ascertains the impacts any such proposals would have on its heritage significance."

~Dr Vidhu Gandhi, 

Associate Dean, School of Law, Environment and Planning, Coordinator UNESCO Chair, Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology  

Vehicles again in Cubbon Park? No WAY.

#TrafficFreeCubbonPark cd traffic restart? Letter written to Chief Sectretary on this below. #Heritagebeku petitioned this , shared expert opinions , after it was discussed and supported by both officers and ministers, and then unanimously passed on 30 June at BBMP Council. Cubbon Park, the flora & fauna, ecology and air flourishes during the lockdown with no traffic.

And now we #hear that in an absurd roll back to pre Covid Times , the GoK plans to restart traffic in Cubbon Park from Monday. Really ? For what joy?

Citizens have collaboratively worked on this and its a good thing - no more slaughter of Cubbon park. Like Lalbagh has for two decades, Cubbon Park must be traffic free too . Not rocket science.

Hope the GoK resolves it ASAP. Please share.

Links:

Petition: change.org/TrafficFreeCubbonPark

Blog link : https://www.heritagebeku.com/post/365-day-traffic-free-cubbon-park-it-s-our-central-lung-space-natural-heritage-myrighttobreathe

Mayor Support : https://twitter.com/bbmp_mayor/status/1277535689387593728?s=21

https://www.deccanherald.com/city/focus-bengaluru/cubbon-park-call-for-traffic-ban-856040.html

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/bangalore/convert-cubbon-park-to-no-traffic-zone/article31892923.ece

https://bangaloremirror.indiatimes.com/bangalore/others/a-good-move-but-requires-caution/articleshow/64324505.cms

https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/bengaluru/2020/jun/23/stepping-up-for-lung-space-2159972.html

https://www.deccanherald.com/content/532893/can-cubbon-park-free-traffic.html

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Saturday, 22 August 2020

The Chief Secretary

Government of Karnataka

Vidhana Soudha

Bangalore 560001

Dear Sir:

Subject : Proposed Reintroduction of Vehicular Traffic in Cubbon Park wef 24 Aug 2020

#CubbonParkUlisi. Heritage Beku has made an impassioned appeal to the government to ensure that Cubbon Park , which has been untouched by traffic for the last five months of Covidand slowly regaining its air quality, greenery and flora & fauna ,and continue this traffic free status. We were glad that BBMP had passed this unanimously on 30 Jun 2020. We hear that this is rolled back, perhaps by oversight. While it may be untrue, we strongly protest any retrograde move to roll back Traffic Free Cubbon Park.

Please note that we had done the following:

1. One, an online petition (www.change.org/TrafficFreeCubbonPark) to confirm the basis on which a traffic free Cubbon Park is required for both the health of the city, the Park and its citizens. Expert opinions were taken

2. Second, we sent out a detailed letter to the Horticultural Secretary, BBMP commissioner & Horticulture Minister and your good self, summarizing our request and asking for action. Glad to hear that both the horticultural secretary , the BBMP commissioner as well as several ministers were positive about this and supported this excellent move to keep Cubbon Park pristine and pollution free.

3. Third, we also spoke to several other experts and gathered their inputs along with stakeholders like the traffic police, who felt that while managing full traffic might be difficult, a few changes in direction and one ways would resolve a lot of the problems, particularly given the metro and future suburban rail . We also spoke to several people on the provision of buggies, cycles and EV vehicles to support the elderly, differently abled and children to access and move around the park .

4. Fourth, a letter was sent to the Hon Mayor and he was gracious enough to completely support this idea and the various experts' opinion on the subject. The need for Traffic. Free Cubbon Park was presented to the BBMP Council on 30 June, and unanimously passed ( he extract of that meeting, and press clips on this is enclosed) .

5. Fifth, a dipstick study on current traffic movement by both citizens and the traffic police we consulted, shows hardly any traffic impact on this. In fact one of our team Mr Dugarreached the DCP Traffic Mr Narayan at that time, and he also had mentioned that it could one managed, provided the Hudson Circle area, stadium and one way were addressed.

Therefore we were surprised to hear today that Bengaluru Coordination Committee plans to reintroduce traffic back into Cubbon Park this Monday, thereby putting an end to the current ecological status , and the painstaking build-up of the precious environment and air quality of Cubbon Park in the last five months. The benefit of a few minutes of traffic speed is completely offset by its negative and irretrievable environmental impact. We finally had a chance to see Cubbon Park at itspristine, aesthetic and environmental best, just like the traffic free Lalbagh is. Now that we have seen and experienced how it benefited the park, it is a shame that our system chooses to rollback progress and good environmental practice by taking the easy route of infecting Cubbon Park with vehicles again.

As citizens & civil society we absolutely insist that you retractthis retrograde, disastrous move as this was already a settled matter. The citizens are united together on this issue and will stand tall to protect our beleaguered Cubbon Park from assaultby polluting vehicles. You are committed to the city and its sustainability too so we fully trust we have your full support on this. We look forward to a categoric confirmation on proceeding in the right direction on maintaining and protecting Cubbon Park.

#MyCity #MyRightToBreathe

Look forward to your prompt and positive response.

Thanking You

Yours Sincerely

Priya Chetty-Rajagopal

Heritage Beku

CC: All concerned

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