The Karnataka High Court has demanded access to the Geological Survey of India’s (GSI) report on the Peninsular Gneiss rock located at Lalbagh Botanical Garden. This request comes as the court reviews challenges to the proposed 16.7-kilometer Bengaluru Twin Tunnel Road project. The Division Bench, composed of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice KS Hemalekha, issued this directive during the hearing of petitions filed against the North–South Tunnel Road project, which is planned to connect Hebbal to Central Silk Board.
The petitions argue that the project was initiated without the necessary approvals, and without properly evaluating its environmental impact. Among the petitioners is actor Prakash Belawadi, who is concerned that the tunnel will pass beneath Lalbagh’s Peninsular Gneiss rock formation—a site of significant geological importance. Representing Belawadi, Bengaluru South MP and Advocate Tejasvi Surya informed the court about the GSI report, urging the judicial body to consider it in evaluating the project’s potential impact on this geological monument.
In addition, another public interest litigation (PIL) was reviewed by the court, filed by Bengaluru residents Guruprasad R K, Rishvanjas Raghavan, and Elizabeth Soumya. This petition challenges the proposed shorter tunnel project that would run beneath Hebbal Lake, raising concerns about its potential effects on the stormwater drain network feeding the lake.
The petitioners, referencing the project’s Detailed Project Report (DPR), assert that the lake’s inflow could be adversely affected, and allege that no independent hydrological or environmental studies were conducted before the project received approval. Advocate Sneha Nagaraj, representing the petitioners, argued that the planned tunnel would traverse not only the lake’s buffer zone but also the lake land. She stated that from the lake’s 136 acres, approximately 3.5 acres are being acquired by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) for this development.
Further, the petitioners contend that the Karnataka Lake Conservation and Development Authority Act does not provide statutory power to transfer lake land for the proposed project. Responding to these claims, the court has instructed the authorities to organize a technical presentation by an engineer. This presentation should address the concerns about the tunnel’s impact on the lake’s inflow, outflow, and underground water movement.
Advocate General K Shashikiran Shetty, representing the State, assured the court that the project would not harm the lake’s water inflow or outflow. However, the Bench emphasized the need for a technical presentation to clarify the issues raised by the petitioners. The Advocate General agreed to facilitate this presentation, which will also cover the legal basis for transferring the lake land. The court has scheduled the next hearing for September 10.
