Bengaluru: With Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) fast-tracking deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar's hobbyhorse — the 190-km tunnel road project — and swiftly preparing a detailed project report (DPR) on it, concerned citizens are joining hands to mount fierce opposition to what they believe could be an ecological disaster.
The project's opponents have detailed five ecological costs: Groundwater disruption, threat to local flora and fauna, increased carbon emission, destabilization of soil stability and natural drainage, and heat island effect.
Aditya Gowda, a financial adviser and citizen activist who highlights Bengaluru's civic travails on his X handle (Karnataka Weather @Bnglweatherman), recently posted: "Request everyone in Bengaluru to join in requesting the govt to scrap the tunnel road project for the safety of our city." The post elicited 34,000 views.
Confirming that his posts detailing the many ecological perils of the tunnel road project have received an encouraging response, Gowda said he plans to launch an online campaign as the first step towards urging the govt to scrap it. "In Bengaluru, where rocky terrain already challenges our urban ambitions and with traffic congestion persisting, tunnel roads seem like a costly detour from the true path to sustainable mobility. Instead, we should be enhancing public transport," he told TOI.
Several citizen activists TOI spoke with said they are joining the online campaign against the project.
The tunnel road, aimed at easing traffic, is proposed to connect Hebbal flyover to the Central Silk Board, linking 11 high-density corridors across Bengaluru at a substantial cost of Rs 16,500 crore. However, urban experts and environmentalists are questioning whether this approach aligns with the city's needs for sustainable mobility solutions.
BBMP officials, however, made it clear they mean business when it comes to implementing the project. They said the preparation of DPR in three months, as against the usual 12 months it takes, is confirmation of the same. "We want to remove the black mark on BBMP and complete this project on time. Traffic diversion is a big challenge, so we're working to handle it better," BBMP engineer-in-chief BS Prahalad said.
Groundwater & carbon concerns
Ram Prasad | lake activist
Cities facing groundwater challenges must be cautious when disrupting shallow aquifers. Before initiating tunnel projects, it is essential to thoroughly study the interconnectedness of these aquifers. Disturbing them could disrupt natural water flow, potentially leading to severe consequences like water scarcity or increased flood risk. By obstructing groundwater recharge, concrete tunnels might not only deplete local water resources but also contribute to unpredictable flooding, intensifying urban water management challenges
Abdul Aleem | Changemakers of Kanakapura Road
While tunnel roads are intended to ease surface congestion, their construction is a highly carbon-intensive process. Excavation, the deployment of heavy machinery, and vast amounts of concrete required add significantly to emissions. At a time when every ounce of carbon matters, such projects feel like a throwback to outdated practices. Furthermore, by facilitating easier vehicle access, these tunnels may encourage private car usage, potentially increasing pollution in the long run and offsetting any environmental gains from improved traffic flow