Hebbal Tunnel project: Karnataka High Court warns of stay over lake impact

A division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K S Hemalekha, in its order, said, “The affidavit shall specifically confirm if any study has been conducted as to the impact of the project on the Hebbal lake. It shall also clearly state whether studies have covered the question as to whether the tunnel would cause any obstruction in the inflow or outflow of water or disturb the underground flow of water.”

After passing the order, the bench orally said, “If there is a delay in filing the affidavit, we will put a stay on the project. If you do not file the reply in time. So do not take this lightly.”

The court will further hear the case on August 20.

The court issued notice on a petition filed by three people — Guruprasad R K, Rishvanjas Raghavan and Elizabeth Soumya, who argued that the unamended Section 12 of the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority Act, 2014 prohibited the government from putting up any construction within 30 metres of the lake.

What the petitioners said

Appearing for the petitioners, counsel Sneha Nagaraj said, “This short tunnel is under the tank bed, where there are several stormwater drains. In the government’s own DPR (detailed project report) there is an admission that the tank inflow will be affected due to this project. Further, referring to news reports, it was submitted that officials have come on record on this. There is no scientific study carried out before touching upon the underground of the tank bed”.

In 2025, the government amended Section 12 of the Act and permitted authorities to grant permission for specific construction works, only after ensuring that the original capacity of the tanks is not reduced or causes any obstruction at the natural or normal course of inflow or outflow of water into, or from, the tanks. It also sets out a categorization of the buffer zone to be maintained in tanks as per their size in area.

The plea seeks to cancel the DPR titled short length transitory 3-lane Bi-Directional vehicular underpass and declare that the 2025 amendment to the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority Act as Unconstitutional and violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India and strike it down.

The petitioners’ counsel argued that respondents be restrained from proceeding with the project without first undertaking comprehensive and independent hydrological, hydrogeological, groundwater, stormwater, flood-risk and cumulative environmental impact assessments through competent expert agencies and till the court finally decides on the petition. Further, not to axe around 890 trees.

About the project

The short tunnel project is one of the projects undertaken as a measure to ease the traffic congestion problem faced in the city. The project is being implemented by the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) and the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA). It was determined that no further widening of the road, which is part of the National Highway (NH), would be possible.

The short tunnel road project will involve the construction of an underpass in the middle of Bellary Road at Mekhri Circle without disturbing the movement of vehicles, and the construction of an underground route in the GKVK campus along with the construction of a road on either side of Hebbal Lake.

The foundation stone of the 2.5 km-long cut-and-cover tunnel will be toll-free and is pegged at Rs 1,385 crore and is targeted for completion in 18 months.