Tunnel road to swallow six acres of Lalbagh? Surya seeks Geological Report

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Sunday inspected the proposed site of the Tunnel Road ramp at Lalbagh Botanical Garden and strongly opposed the acquisition of any portion of Lalbagh’s land for the project.

During the inspection, Surya directed the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to study the geological impact of the project on the ancient Lalbagh Rock formation, a National Geological Monument that is over 300 million years old.

He also pulled up officials of B-SMILE, the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) created by the Government of Karnataka for the project, for failing to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and for not consulting the general public and regular walkers of Lalbagh before earmarking a section of the heritage garden for the tunnel ramp.

Speaking to reporters, Surya said: “The Karnataka Government is looking to take away Bengaluru’s most precious lung space, the Lalbagh, to make an exit ramp of the Tunnel Road. The project poses a huge threat to the Lalbagh Rock, a 300 million-year-old archaeological marvel that is part of our city’s heritage. At the ramp, they also want to build a commercial complex consisting of malls and eateries. Lalbagh belongs to all of us, it belongs to the city. People of Bengaluru do not want to concede any portion of the Lalbagh for this mindless, vainglorious, vanity project that is going to spell disaster for the city.”

Surya also highlighted that the Tunnel Road project is being rushed through without any EIA or geological assessment going into whether the tunnel will impact any part of the ancient rock formation of Lalbagh.

Surya, in his request to GSI, stated that the Government of Karnataka’s Tunnel Road project is being pushed through without a scientific assessment of its potential impact on the Lalbagh Rock Formation. “For such projects, there is a mandate by the Government of India that Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must be made. However, the B-SMILE is claiming an exemption from EIA for this project, which is not true. Following the recent Tunnel disaster in Uttarakhand, a complete study of the seismic and geological impact must be undertaken before boring any tunnel,” Surya said.

Surya also highlighted that the Metro Phase 3A, the route of which overlaps with the Hebbal-Silk Board tunnel corridor, has changed its alignment partially to avoid any damage to the Lalbagh Rock. “And yet, instead of prioritizing mass rapid transport systems which can ease traffic congestion, the Government of Karnataka is imposing this needless tunnel road project on the people,” he added.

Surya said the geological impact study should be prepared and made public at the earliest before any irreversible damage is done to Lalbagh. “Experts have expressed serious apprehensions that tunnelling activities in this area could cause structural instability, fractures, and hydrological disruptions, potentially affecting Lalbagh’s ecosystem and adjoining urban regions,” he wrote in the letter.

Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya on Sunday inspected the proposed site of the Tunnel Road ramp at Lalbagh Botanical Garden and strongly opposed the acquisition of any portion of Lalbagh’s land for the project.

During the inspection, Surya directed the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to study the geological impact of the project on the ancient Lalbagh Rock formation, a National Geological Monument that is over 300 million years old.

He also pulled up officials of B-SMILE, the Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) created by the Government of Karnataka for the project, for failing to undertake an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and for not consulting the general public and regular walkers of Lalbagh before earmarking a section of the heritage garden for the tunnel ramp.

Speaking to reporters, Surya said: “The Karnataka Government is looking to take away Bengaluru’s most precious lung space, the Lalbagh, to make an exit ramp of the Tunnel Road. The project poses a huge threat to the Lalbagh Rock, a 300 million-year-old archaeological marvel that is part of our city’s heritage. At the ramp, they also want to build a commercial complex consisting of malls and eateries. Lalbagh belongs to all of us, it belongs to the city. People of Bengaluru do not want to concede any portion of the Lalbagh for this mindless, vainglorious, vanity project that is going to spell disaster for the city.”

Surya also highlighted that the Tunnel Road project is being rushed through without any EIA or geological assessment going into whether the tunnel will impact any part of the ancient rock formation of Lalbagh.

Surya, in his request to GSI, stated that the Government of Karnataka’s Tunnel Road project is being pushed through without a scientific assessment of its potential impact on the Lalbagh Rock Formation. “For such projects, there is a mandate by the Government of India that Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must be made. However, the B-SMILE is claiming an exemption from EIA for this project, which is not true. Following the recent Tunnel disaster in Uttarakhand, a complete study of the seismic and geological impact must be undertaken before boring any tunnel,” Surya said.

Surya also highlighted that the Metro Phase 3A, the route of which overlaps with the Hebbal-Silk Board tunnel corridor, has changed its alignment partially to avoid any damage to the Lalbagh Rock. “And yet, instead of prioritizing mass rapid transport systems which can ease traffic congestion, the Government of Karnataka is imposing this needless tunnel road project on the people,” he added.

Surya said the geological impact study should be prepared and made public at the earliest before any irreversible damage is done to Lalbagh. “Experts have expressed serious apprehensions that tunnelling activities in this area could cause structural instability, fractures, and hydrological disruptions, potentially affecting Lalbagh’s ecosystem and adjoining urban regions,” he wrote in the letter.