BANGALORE: Residents of Malleswaram have vowed to continue protests till the decision to widen the Sankey Tank Road is taken back. On Sunday, they gathered near the playground on Malleswaram 18th cross to pledge their support for the playground which will be affected if the road is widened. The residents said that 7 to 12 metres of the ground will have to be given up for the road widening. A number of people, including representatives of Malleswaram Swabhimana Initiative, Disc and Football Club and Hasiru Usiru, had gathered to garner more support for their cause. They explained that the playground is more than hundred years old and that it is home to a lot of local cricketing talent. Some of the trees surrounding the ground will also be affected, they said. The ground has also lost some of its space to accommodate a BWSSB office and a CET cell. The residents quoted Section 8 of the Karnataka, Parks, Playfields and Open Spaces Act which prevents construction of buildings that are not part of the playground within the playground area.Though R Ashok, former minister for transport and home, had said that they would build more playgrounds, the residents feel that the city has very little space for open spaces. “If this playground is given up, there will be no space in Malleswaram for another playground and there is no point constructing a playground elsewhere,” said Anitha Sampath, a member of Hasiru Usiru.
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