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BENGALURU: The proposed road tunneling project in Bengaluru city by the ruling Congress government has been questioned by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Tejasvi Surya citing threat to Lalbagh Rock, said to be over 3,000 million years old rock recognized as a National Geo-Heritage Site by Geological Survey of India. The MP representing Bengaluru South seat requested Union Minister of Mines G. Kishan Reddy to make a geological impact assessment of the proposed tunnel road via Lalbagh citing threat from the boring works. Raising concerns over the proposed ecological damages to Lalbagh, Surya expressed fears about 6-acre of Lalbagh land will be acquired for the tunneling project for a 1.1-km tunnel road through Siddapura road between Ashoka Pillar and Marigowda Junction. Referring to the Detailed Project Report of the road tunneling project, Tejasvi Surya stated “The DPR shockingly proposes a commercial complex inside Lalbagh at the tunnel shaft location and this poses a threat to Lalbagh’s environment.” However, Bengaluru incharge and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar ruled out any threat to the oldest botanical garden Lalbagh in Bengaluru city from the tunneling project via and stated tunnels have to go through Bengaluru city. “It can’t go outside the city,” the incharge minister of Bengaluru said. In a clear message, Shivakumar stated “I can’t stop the project listening to him (Tejasvi Surya)” and pointed out road tunneling works have been taken-up in Mumbai and New Delhi as well. “I will not yield to him at any point of time,” he said and clarified only an acre will be acquired for the road tunneling project works after the project completion the acquired land will be transformed into a garden. Questioning the contributions of BJP government and in particular Tejasvi Surya, Shivakumar the tunnel road will be tolled and wanted the BJP MP from Bengaluru South to come up with a plan of action to decongest Bengaluru city roads. He termed Tejasvi Surya an “empty trunk” lacking proper understanding of the road tunneling project proposed for Bengaluru city.
