Tunnel road projects: Karnataka HC seeks presentation on Hebbal lake water flow, GSI report on Lal Bagh monument
The Karnataka High Court has ordered authorities to present reports regarding the environmental impact of a tunnel road project on Hebbal lake and a geological monument in Lal Bagh. Petitioners argue the project threatens water flow and violates environmental laws, while the state government maintains the construction will not negatively impact the lake's ecosystem.
Why it matters
This case highlights the ongoing tension between urban infrastructure development and the preservation of critical environmental and geological heritage sites in rapidly growing cities.
The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the authorities to submit the Geological Survey of India (GSI) report on the impact of the 16.75-km tunnel road project, connecting Hebbal and Silk Board junctions, on the roughly 3-billion-year-old Peninsular Gneiss in Lal Bagh, which has been declared a National Geological Monument by the GSI.
The court also directed the State government to make necessary arrangement for a presentation from the engineers to explain the steps taken to ensure that there are no obstructions to the inflow and outflow of water into Hebbal lake due to the 2.2-km-long three-lane, short transitory twin tunnel from Hebbal junction to the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal, and Fisheries University (KVAFSU) on Ballari road.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha issued the direction during the hearing of a batch of PIL petitions, which have challenged the legality of the two separate projects.
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