The Karnataka High Court on Saturday, October 25, directed the state government to clarify whether any trees would be felled inside Lalbagh Botanical Garden for the proposed 16.7-km Bengaluru Twin Tunnel Road project. The Court asked the government to provide its response by Tuesday, October 28.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C.M. Poonacha made the oral direction while hearing two public interest litigations (PILs) filed by Adikesavalu Ravindra and actor-director Prakash Belawadi, challenging the July 14, 2025 tender notification issued by the state government and the Greater Bengaluru Authority (formerly BBMP).
During the hearing, Lok Sabha MP and advocate Tejasvi Surya, appearing for Prakash, told the court that around 6.5 acres of land inside Lalbagh had been demarcated for the tunnel project and that public access to this portion had already been restricted. He further argued that the project posed a threat to the 3,000-million-year-old Peninsular Gneiss formation located within Lalbagh, which has been declared a National Geological Monument by the Geological Survey of India.
The bench initially indicated that it could pass an interim order preventing the felling of trees within Lalbagh until the next hearing but refrained from doing so after the government advocate assured the Court that the state would provide clarification by October 27 or 28. The bench also issued a notice to the government in response to Prakash’s petition, which contends that the project violates the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Act, 2022, the Karnataka Parks (Preservation) Act, 1975, and various environmental laws.
A second petition filed by Ravindra and two others had earlier prompted the court to issue a notice to the state on September 25 and adjourn the matter to December 9. However, advocates for both petitioners sought urgent intervention after authorities reportedly began demarcating portions of Lalbagh land for the tunnel project.
The proposed twin tunnel road aims to connect Hebbal and Central Silk Board Junction through underground corridors featuring eight entry and eight exit points under the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister and Bengaluru Development Minister DK Shivakumar said that some land within Lalbagh would temporarily be used for the tunnel project and returned to the authorities once construction was complete.
Speaking during the ‘Walk With Citizen’ event in Bengaluru on Saturday, he accused the Opposition BJP and JD(S) of obstructing development works. “They are bringing injunctions and objections in every issue. There is a team only to bring injunctions in the court. For the BJP, politics is more important than development,” he said.
Defending the project, Shivakumar added, “Let anyone object. I will not bother. Their intention is not to make a name for the government by doing good work. I am not acquiring any land for this project. This road passes through a small part. If there is a problem, an alternative arrangement will be made. There will be no problem for Lalbagh. We will use some space in Lalbagh until this project is done, then clear it again and return it to Lalbagh.”