Protests erupt in Bengaluru and Karnataka over infrastructure projects

Residents and activists in Karnataka have launched protests against major government infrastructure and water projects. In Bengaluru, demonstrators in Indiranagar and Jayanagar formed human chains to oppose 13 proposed elevated corridors planned by Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (BSMILE). Protesters argued that the 126km project, estimated to cost over Rs 18,000 crore, would not resolve traffic congestion but would instead shift bottlenecks and create a ‘concrete jungle’. They called for increased investment in public transport and the acceleration of Metro projects.

Simultaneously, hundreds of people gathered at Freedom Park to protest the Bedti-Aghanashini river-linking project. Organised by the Bedti-Aghanashini Valley Conservation Committee, the demonstrators demanded the project be scrapped to protect the Western Ghats and the Uttara Kannada district. Participants, including environmentalists and legal experts, urged the government to adopt non-destructive irrigation methods and focus on local water conservation, forest regeneration, and lake restoration rather than large-scale river diversion schemes.