The Karnataka Excessive Courtroom on Thursday issued a discover in search of a response from the Authorities to a petition filed by Bengaluru residents in opposition to the tender and different features of the proposed three-lane underground twin tunnel highway from Hebbal Esteem Mall Junction to Silk Board KSRP Junction.
A worldwide tender for the tunnel undertaking was floated in July, with the undertaking price estimated at Rs 17,698 crore, excluding Items and Providers Tax. Whereas extensively promoted by Deputy Chief Minister D Ok Shivakumar, the undertaking has are available in for intensive criticism from numerous events starting from the Opposition to environmentalists and concrete mobility specialists.
The matter was heard by a bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice C M Joshi.
The petition requires quashing the tender notification for the dual tunnel undertaking issued in July in addition to the detailed undertaking report (DPR) from December final 12 months. It additionally requires the quashing of a 2024 letter from the State Setting Affect Evaluation Authority that mentioned the undertaking didn’t want environmental clearance.
Amongst a sequence of different prayers, the petition additionally requires the State to be restrained from taking any steps to execute the undertaking with out environmental influence evaluation, mobility planning, and so forth, whereas additionally stating the need of an unbiased multidisciplinary knowledgeable committee to evaluate the undertaking’s influence and the feasibility.
Alongside its different contentions, the petition argues that that the DPR was ready in undue haste and riddled with inaccuracies whereas additionally missing geological and hydrological surveys of the websites. It additional argues that the site visitors mannequin excluded two-wheelers and autorickshaws, which make up 70 per cent of Bangalore site visitors.
Whereas expressing considerations in regards to the lack of approval from the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority and the dearth of scrutiny the Bengaluru Metropolitan Planning Committee, the petition additionally states that the undertaking violates the “public belief doctrine” beneath Article 21 of the Structure, as scarce public assets could be spent on a car-centric facility that will privilege prosperous sections whereas harming the town financially and ecologically.
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The petition additionally highlights potential points from the tunnel highway undertaking reminiscent of threats to aquifers, storm-water drains, and floodplains, in addition to a threat of tree loss and an influence on city warmth.
The matter is about for additional listening to on December 9.