Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister D K Shivakumar’s ambitious Tunnel Road project faces scrutiny following a petition by a city-based citizens’ group. The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to multiple government agencies, requesting formal responses.
At the first hearing on 10 September, the tribunal directed notices be served to the State Government, Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Bangalore Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), and the project consultants.
The petition, filed by Bengaluru Praja Vedike and other concerned citizens, highlights flaws in the Detailed Project Report (DPR), citing factual errors, incomplete annexures, and the absence of key studies, including site-specific geological surveys, hydrological and flood-risk mapping, biodiversity assessments, and tree enumeration.
Petitioners claim the traffic modelling is inaccurate, excluding major vehicle categories, underestimating emissions, and failing to resolve congestion at critical junctions.
The State Cabinet approved the 16.74 km twin-tube tunnel from Hebbal to Silk Board at an estimated cost of Rs 19 billion on 22 May. B-SMILE was formed shortly thereafter, and Rodic Consultants prepared the DPR in under three months—a process petitioners argue was rushed, politically motivated, and lacked credible technical assessment or alignment with the Comprehensive Mobility Plan 2020.
The petition states the tunnel cuts through ecologically sensitive areas, including the Peninsular Gneiss at Lal Bagh, Hebbal Valley’s stormwater corridor, and the critically polluted Peenya Industrial Area, raising concerns of groundwater depletion, soil instability, and flooding. Independent studies, including from the Indian Institute of Science, warn the project will shift commuters from public to private transport, increase fossil fuel use and emissions, and exacerbate climate vulnerabilities.
Statutory bodies such as the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) have confirmed the project contradicts Bengaluru’s mobility and climate policies, recommending alternatives. Petitioners further note the proposed Metro corridor along the same route offers a more sustainable, accessible, and environmentally sound transport solution.?
