81% of Surveyed Malleswaram Residents Oppose Mysore Lamps Convention Centre

On Sunday, a community walk and survey in Malleswaram, Bengaluru, revealed that 81 percent of surveyed local residents oppose the State government's proposal to build a convention centre at the Mysore Lamps site. The residents are demanding that the land be preserved as a public green space instead of being turned into a concrete structure.

The survey was conducted by Greenpeace India under its Bengaluru Rising campaign, gathering feedback from 245 Malleswaram residents. The findings were officially released during "Namma Hasiru Nadige," a community walk organized jointly by Greenpeace India and the local residents' group Preeti4Malleswaram. The event aimed to highlight the critical importance of protecting the neighbourhood's remaining green spaces.

During the walk, residents marched through the area carrying banners that displayed the survey's findings. Out of the 245 residents surveyed, 81 percent explicitly termed the State government's convention centre proposal a "stupid" idea. The participants urged the government to retain the Mysore Lamps site as a public green space to prevent further concrete development in the locality.

B.K. Sivaram, the president of Kadu Malleshwara Galeyara Balaga, spoke at the event regarding the cultural value of the area. Sivaram stated that the Mysore Lamps site forms an important part of Malleswaram’s history and identity, and argued that it should be preserved for future generations. He also suggested that the site should be renamed after Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar.

According to the residents, the survey results clearly reflect a strong community preference for conserving the Mysore Lamps site rather than replacing it with another concrete building. They stressed that protecting and expanding public green spaces is essential for improving local biodiversity, building climate resilience, and enhancing the overall quality of life in Bengaluru.

Following the walk and the release of the survey, the residents requested that the State government engage in a formal consultation process with them before making any final decisions regarding the future of the Mysore Lamps site.