The Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday issued notices performing on a petition filed by the Bengaluru Praja Vedike and others difficult the Bengaluru twin tunnel highway undertaking, which they allege was “rapidly introduced”, bypassing obligatory environmental affect evaluation procedures.
The notices have been issued to the Karnataka Authorities, Better Bengaluru Authority, State Surroundings Affect Evaluation Authority (SEIAA), Bengaluru Sensible Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE), the Union Ministry of Surroundings, Forest and Local weather Change, and the undertaking consultants.
The bold infrastructure undertaking was first introduced in Might 2024 through the Karnataka Authorities’s funds speech, proposing a 16.74-km twin-tube tunnel connecting Hebbal to Silk Board at an estimated price of Rs 19,000 crore. The Cupboard accredited the undertaking on Might 22 this yr, to be applied below a build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT/BOT) mannequin.
A Particular Objective Car named Bangalore Sensible Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE) was created particularly for the undertaking, with Rodic Consultants making ready the detailed undertaking report (DPR) in simply three months.
Nonetheless, the undertaking – an bold proposal by Deputy Chief Minister D Ok Shivakumar- has attracted sharp criticism from city mobility specialists, and environmentalists who’ve dubbed it unscientific and environmentally dangerous. They are saying the dual tunnels will solely worsen the visitors congestion in Bengaluru.
Issues over planning and approval
The petition alleges that the undertaking was “rapidly introduced” with out sufficient technical evaluation or assist from the Complete Mobility Plan 2020. It claims the proposal was “politically pushed from inception” and superior regardless of two failed Expressions of Curiosity, later being “retrofitted right into a feasibility research by procedural maneuvering.”
In keeping with the petition, the DPR incorporates “factual errors, incomplete annexures, and omissions of important research”. “Particularly lacking are site-specific geological surveys; hydrological and flood-risk mapping; biodiversity evaluation and tree enumeration,” the petition reads.
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The visitors modelling can be criticised for excluding main car classes and underestimating emissions, whereas nonetheless acknowledging that key junctions will stay at worst congestion ranges.
The tunnel alignment is alleged to go by ecologically delicate and legally protected areas, together with the Peninsular Gneiss formation at Lal Bagh; Hebbal Valley’s stormwater hall, and areas close to the critically polluted Peenya Industrial Space.
These zones face excessive dangers of groundwater depletion, soil instability, and aggravated flooding, in keeping with the petition, which additionally factors out specialists’ opposition and coverage contradictions.
Shift from public to personal transport
Impartial research, together with analysis from the Indian Institute of Science, reportedly conclude that the undertaking will trigger a shift from public to personal transport, enhance exhaust emissions and fossil gas use, and exacerbate local weather vulnerabilities.
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The Directorate of City Land Transport, a authorities assume tank, has additionally confirmed that the undertaking contradicts Bengaluru’s accredited mobility and local weather insurance policies and has advisable options as a substitute.
Some of the important allegations within the petition considerations the bypassing of obligatory environmental affect evaluation (EIA) procedures. The petitioners declare that the respondents have ignored public session necessities, relied on a technicality that “tunnels” are usually not explicitly listed below the EIA Notification 2006, to evade clearance, and adopted practices just like the controversial 2017 metal flyover undertaking.
Metro various highlighted
The petition emphasises {that a} proposed Metro hall alongside the identical alignment would supply “a much more sustainable, simply accessible, inclusive and environmentally sound various” to the tunnel undertaking.
The candidates have requested the NGT to declare the undertaking illegal, quash the tender course of, and direct the whole cancellation of the undertaking.
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They argue these measures are essential to stop irreversible ecological hurt, uphold statutory environmental safeguards, and defend the constitutional proper to a clear and wholesome setting.
The co-petitioners are Kathyayini Chamaraj, govt trustee at CIVIC, and environmentalist Dattatraya Devare.
Devare, chatting with indianexpress.com, mentioned, “No state authorities physique was prepared to hearken to the pink flags of this tunnel highway undertaking. In the end, we needed to knock on the doorways of the NGT to cease this undertaking , which might be detrimental to Bengaluru’s environmental panorama.”