BENGALURU: Marking April Fool’s Day with a sharp message, citizens across Bengaluru staged a coordinated ‘Scream’ protest against what they termed “stupid projects” – delayed, costly and ineffective infrastructure works disrupting daily life.
Led by Greenpeace India along with civil society groups under the Bengaluru Rising campaign, demonstrations were held at key locations, including the Rajarajeshwari Nagar arch flyover, Dommasandra flyover and at the Mysore Lamps site in Malleswaram. Physically shouting or screaming against “absurd” urban planning, the protesters highlighted years long delays in flyover construction and raised concerns over the proposed conversion of the Mysore Lamps land, a dense urban green space, into a convention centre.
Activists said such projects prioritise concrete expansion over ecological preservation and fail to address core issues like traffic congestion and public accessibility.
The campaigners said the protests reflect growing frustration with a development model focused on flyovers and road widening at the cost of walkability, clean air and the city’s shrinking network of lakes and green spaces.
Voices from citizen groups stressed the need to protect existing green cover and reimagine urban spaces as inclusive and sustainable. They pointed to the Mysore Lamps land as an opportunity to create a public, mixed-use green space rather than a commercial complex serving limited interests.