BENGALURU: ‘Bedave beda tunnel road!’ (We don’t want tunnel road), ‘Ulisi ulisi, Lalbagh Ulisi!’ (Save Lalbagh) slogans echoed across Lalbagh Botanical Gardens on Sunday as more than a hundred walkers, college students and environmentalists formed a human chain to protest against the proposed tunnel road project. They urged Chief Minister DK Shivakumar to abandon the project, saying it poses a serious threat to the city’s historic green space and its ecological and geological heritage.
The protest, organised by Lalbagh Walkers’ Association, began around 7.30am at Lalbagh Rock. Participants joined hands to form a human chain and raised slogans demanding the proposed project be scrapped.
Participants said the Geological Survey of India has estimated Lalbagh Rock to be about 3,300 years old and a tunnel road passing beneath it could pose a serious threat to the ancient geological formation.
The walkers said, “There are hundreds of trees inside Lalbagh. Lalbagh Metro Station was initially planned to cut through the park by chopping 400 trees. We opposed it. A multi-level car park was proposed inside the park. We opposed that too. Now, the tunnel road aims to go under the park, and we are opposing the project.”
Lalbagh Walkers Association president Umesh said, “The tunnel road project would damage Lalbagh Rock, Sankey Lake and Hebbal Lake. Our CM DK Shivakumar is called ‘bande’ (rock). We urge him to save the rock at Lalbagh, and considering the environmental damage the project would unleash, we urge him to scrap the project and save Bengaluru.”
