Greener TenderSure roads okay, but where is the space, ask experts

Suggest owners of houses in the vicinity to plant trees
Church Street is part of the TenderSure project |EXPRESS
Church Street is part of the TenderSure project |EXPRESS

BENGALURU: Treeless TenderSure roads have been opposed in the study conducted by Bengaluru Smart City Limited (BenSCL). The New Indian Express spoke to a few experts to find out the problems in implementing TenderSure project and whether the project could have been a lot better and greener.

TenderSure, the urban infrastructure project, was conceived by Bangalore City Connect Foundation (BCCF) and Jana Urban Space Foundation (JUSP).

Urban expert V Ravichandar told The New Indian Express that the project faced space constraints. “The scope to plant new trees is difficult given the space constraints. Pedestrians are already battling for space. The more viable solution is that the owners of the properties beside these roads plant trees within their property and near the wall - which will then provide shade to the pedestrians,” he said.

Over suggestions made in the study on rainwater harvesting, Ravichander slams the team of being misinformed. “The existing TenderSure roads do have recharge pits every 30 metres. The only issue is that the pipe used right now goes only a few feet into the ground. The longer pipe is required so that the water goes deep to charge groundwater,” he explained. He, however, agrees that trees and pedestrians must be considered as the core focus of such projects.

“The benefits of allocating more space to pedestrians, and providing continuous stretches for safe walking are quite real. The criticism that more could be done is also true. What we need is a way of measuring and quantifying the benefits of the choices that we make in financial as well as environmental terms. This year, the state government has indicated that it is willing to make another 100 roads in the city more walkable, and we should use the learning from TenderSure to improve the design,” says urban expert Ashwin Mahesh, who was part of the BBMP discussions on TenderSure project.

Kathyayini Chamraj, another urban expert, agreed with two of their suggestions made in the study - trees to attract birds and rainwater harvesting on roads. Calling these as playing “a vital role in the sustainable development of Bengaluru city,” Kathyayini explained that if both aspects are missing, the project has gone in vain. “We appreciate what has been done with TenderSure, such as ducts and cycle paths. But at some places like on Langford Road, some of the guidelines of the project had not been followed well,” she said.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com