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Following strong opposition from civil society groups and environmentalists, Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar has hinted at a possible change in the alignment of Bengaluru’s proposed tunnel road to avoid using land from the Lalbagh Botanical Garden.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, September 9, Shivakumar said he had asked Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to explore alternatives to using Lalbagh land for the project.
“I have discussed the issue with Greater Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to look at the feasibility of alternatives to Lalbagh land for the tunnel road project,” he said, according to The Hindu.
According to the report, Minister Gowda confirmed that the Chief Minister had asked officials to explore alternative options.
The proposed tunnel road is a 16.75-km twin-tunnel corridor connecting Hebbal and the Central Silk Board area, with the government pitching it as a major infrastructure project to ease Bengaluru’s traffic congestion. The project is estimated by the government at Rs 17,698 crore, while Adani Enterprises emerged as the lowest bidder with a Rs 22,267-crore bid.
The project has faced sustained opposition from environmentalists, civil society groups and political leaders, particularly over the proposed use of Lalbagh land. The original plan requires around six acres of Lalbagh land temporarily and one acre permanently for the tunnel infrastructure.
The controversy intensified after the Karnataka government introduced the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The Bill, which was passed by both Houses of the legislature, allowed up to 5% of park land to be alienated for public purposes.
On September 3, the Karnataka Cabinet decided to withdraw the Bill. Shivakumar had said the legislation would be reintroduced after wider public debate. Days later, his comments on exploring an alternative tunnel alignment have raised the possibility that the project could be redesigned to avoid Lalbagh altogether.
N S Mukunda of Bengaluru Praja Vedike, one of the petitioners challenging the tunnel road project, said the group would continue opposing the project even if Lalbagh was excluded from the alignment.
“Damage to Lalbagh is just one of the grounds for challenging the project. We will not back down from the fight till the entire project is scrapped,” he said.
“The project is extraordinarily costly, serving a small section of car users, even as public transport infrastructure needs more investment. Moreover, the project will not even resolve the traffic congestion. There are several statutory violations as well,” he said.
