BENGALURU: Days after Rodic Consultancy Private Limited, tasked to prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) of Bengaluru Tunnel Road Project, mentioned Nashik and Malegaon in its executive summary instead of Bengaluru, Bengaluru Central MP PC Mohan wrote to BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath to stall such projects.
“BBMP has acknowledged significant errors in the DPR, including a ‘cut-and-paste’ error, referencing unrelated projects like Mumbai’s Coastal Road. These irrelevant references undermine the project’s credibility,” the MP wrote.
The MP highlighting the expenditure of over Rs 8,000 crore for Phase-1 Project, pitched for public transport like expansion of Metro and BMTC fleet. “I have written to the BBMP Commissioner to urge reconsideration of the proposed 18-km Tunnel Road project from Hebbal to Silk Board Junction, estimated at Rs 8,043 crore. This initiative will only worsen Bengaluru’s mobility and environmental issues, rather than improving it,” Mohan wrote.
He also stated that the error in the Detailed Project Report (DPR), reflects lack of technical rigor in planning the project. A comprehensive DPR usually takes 12-18 months and include thorough geotechnical investigations, but this took only three months to complete, which is unrealistic.
“For tunnelling at a depth of 30 metres, 20 soil samples per kilometre are required, equating to at least 400 samples for the 18-km stretch. Insufficient geotechnical studies can lead to problems like incorrect Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) selection, unforeseen ground conditions, and even tunnel collapses, as seen in the Bangalore Metro Phase 1, which faced a two-year-delays due to a wrong TBM selection,” Mohan said and added, Tunnel Road project conflicts with the city’s Comprehensive Mobility Plan (CMP) and ongoing initiatives like Metro Phase 3A.
“Accelerate the completion of Metro Phase 3A and suburban rail to provide sustainable solutions. Expand BMTC’s bus fleet and ensure better first-mile and last-mile connectivity. All projects must strictly adhere to the BMLTA Act, CMP guidelines, and environmental norms,” the MP recommended.