Lake Lalbagg, spread over 40 acres, serves as a vital river water basin and hotspot biodiversity, home for fish, amphibians, reptiles and migratory birds. | Photo Credit: File Photos
The proposed tunnel road project 16.7 km between Hebbal and Silk Board is now drawing criticism for its potential to cause irreversible damage to the largest pulmonary space of Bengalur, Botanical Garden Lalbagag.
In addition to removing almost six Lalbaghage acres, the project has a high potential to harm the entire ecosystem, because the likelihood of irreversible and unacceptable damage is high, activists, including Rajkumar Dugar from citizens for citizens (C4C) and confidence in Bangalore (Bet), and Lalbagg and Lalbag.
When they showed a detailed report on the project (DPR), they stated that the project was undergoing under Lalbagh for 700 m, with two 50 feet tunnels running 50 to 100 feet underground, along with two long ramps and a massive ventilation shaft. About 23,800 square meters or nearly six Lalbaggh Land acres along 1.1 km Siddapura Road Stretch between Ashoka Pillar and Marigowda Junction. The entrance ramp of 1.4 km will start about 50 m from the pillar of Ashok, while near the intersection of Marigowda appears an exit ramp 1.1 km. They will facilitate the movement of the vehicle mainly from Shantinagar, Wilson Garden, Dairy Circle and Jayanagar towards Hebbal, but not in the opposite direction. Activists warn that the project is suffocating the area by the area by eating, polluting air and noise and a number of long -term environmental risks.
“Among the Gravest Concernns is the Fate of the 3-Billion-Year-ALD Lalbagag Rock, One of the Oldest Exposed Rocks on Earth, Declared and National Geological Monument by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in the 1975. Bengalur’s Early Boundary, ”Mr. Dugar Said, Pointing Out That The Project Proposes to Bore Two 15 m Tunnels and this ancient formation using powerful boring tunnel machines that could break the rock and destabilize the terrain.
Lake Lalbagg, spread over 40 acres, serves as a vital river water basin and hotspot biodiversity, home for fish, amphibians, reptiles and migratory birds. The ramp of the tunnel from the pillar Ashok passes from its edge less than 100 feet, mentioned Mr. Dugar and added that the tunneling could disrupt the underground water channels with lake, leading to flooding, drying or contamination, threatening his water life and a delicate microclimate.
Activists also note that the tunneling could seriously change the aquifers that maintain nearby wells, boreholes and interconnected lakes and that continuous water leakage into tunnels could release broken Aquifers, while design chemicals can contaminate groundwater. They supply blocking of the percolation pathways that could exhaust recharge zones and destabilize the soil.
“The estimated 3,000 plant species Lalbagh, including many rare and hereditary trees, face the same danger. Ironics,” activists said.
Published – October 6, 2025 22:08
