Continuing to mount pressure on BBMP and the state government to withdraw the Sankey project, residents from Malleswaram and its surroundings along with other activists launched a sudden poster protest on Sankey Road in the morning. The homes have banner saying ‘Save Sankey’, and children created the posters. The residents said that the project would involve felling many trees as well as more than 400 paper mulberry trees which are home to hundreds of birds.
Moreover, the recent BBMP budget has allocated funds to convert Sankey Tank into a ‘Tourist Plaza’, which has also irked the residents.
“This would further destroy Sankey Tank’s ecology, and lead to rise in temperatures from the concrete work and structures built on it. The NGT ruling clearly states that there needs to be a boundary of 30m between the lake edge and any construction. This has been violated many times,” said Kimsuka, a Sadashiva Nagar resident. “We are disturbed by the news that BBMP wants to make it a tourist destination. We will not allow for this to happen,” said Preeti Sunderajan, Citizens of Sankey.