BENGALURU: The state government on Tuesday informed the Karnataka High Court that it has no plans to cut trees in Lalbagh Botanical Garden now for the tunnel road project.
This submission was made before the division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice CM Poonacha by Advocate General K Shashikiran Shetty during the hearing of the two public interest litigation filed challenging the tunnel road project.
The petitions were filed by Adikesavaru Ravindra and Prakash Belawadi.
The AG’s submission came in view of the high court directive on October 25, which had sought a response from the state government on whether any proposal has been made to cut any trees inside the Lalbagh Botanical Garden for the tunnel road project.
It was alleged in one of the petitions that 6.5 acres have been demarcated inside the Lalbagh for the project. The entry and exit for the public have been restricted. And trees in the city are under threat, and they don’t know when they will axe the trees in violation of the Karnataka Parks (Preservation) Act, 1975.
Seeking to quash the government order of the project, the petitioner alleged that the North-South Tunnel Road Project (Hebbal to Silk Board, 18 km stretch) was illegally pursued by the state through Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Limited (B-SMILE) at an estimated cost of Rs 19,000 crore without any application of mind, without statutory approval and in violation of constitutional mandate.
Further hearing was adjourned to December 9.