<p>Before the Namma Metro destroyed its green aesthetics forever, the iconic Mahatma Gandhi Road occupied the pride of place in Bengaluru. That collective fascination had much to do with the now-demolished boulevard with its splendid walkway. Overlooking the road with a glorious history, the boulevard was cherished both by old-timers and youngsters alike. It stretched majestically from Anil Kumble Circle till Cauvery Emporium (Brigade Road Junction), offering everyone the perfect reason to hang out at leisure.</p>.<p>Steamrolling widespread opposition, the Metro project bulldozed through the entire boulevard. In one go, the glorious piece of the city’s green heritage was confined to history. The new, elevated boulevard put up in its place could not replicate the magic of the one destroyed.</p>.<p>But the Metro did more. Its pillars invaded an entire lane on the M G Road stretch from Brigade Junction to Trinity Circle, triggering traffic congestion never seen before. Vehicular movement was reduced to a crawl during rush hours. In the seven years since the Metro opened its M G Road to Baiyappanahalli stretch, the chaos has only got worse.</p>.<p>If the imposing pillars were outrightly branded ‘ugly’ by urban architects and old Bengalureans alike, the stations that emerged had no sense of aesthetics in their design. Dubbed ‘monstrous,’ the M G Road station eventually proved to be poor in build quality as the structure leaked after every downpour.</p>
<p>Before the Namma Metro destroyed its green aesthetics forever, the iconic Mahatma Gandhi Road occupied the pride of place in Bengaluru. That collective fascination had much to do with the now-demolished boulevard with its splendid walkway. Overlooking the road with a glorious history, the boulevard was cherished both by old-timers and youngsters alike. It stretched majestically from Anil Kumble Circle till Cauvery Emporium (Brigade Road Junction), offering everyone the perfect reason to hang out at leisure.</p>.<p>Steamrolling widespread opposition, the Metro project bulldozed through the entire boulevard. In one go, the glorious piece of the city’s green heritage was confined to history. The new, elevated boulevard put up in its place could not replicate the magic of the one destroyed.</p>.<p>But the Metro did more. Its pillars invaded an entire lane on the M G Road stretch from Brigade Junction to Trinity Circle, triggering traffic congestion never seen before. Vehicular movement was reduced to a crawl during rush hours. In the seven years since the Metro opened its M G Road to Baiyappanahalli stretch, the chaos has only got worse.</p>.<p>If the imposing pillars were outrightly branded ‘ugly’ by urban architects and old Bengalureans alike, the stations that emerged had no sense of aesthetics in their design. Dubbed ‘monstrous,’ the M G Road station eventually proved to be poor in build quality as the structure leaked after every downpour.</p>