BENGALURU: The Karnataka High Court on Thursday directed the state government to submit its response by way of an affidavit, answering issues raised concerning a public interest litigation challenging the proposed multi-crore ‘Short Length Transitory 3-Lane Bi-Directional Vehicular Underpass’ connecting Hebbal flyover junction to Veterinary College via GKVK premises.
The affidavit should contain details whether any study has been conducted to know the impact of the project on the environment, including whether inflow and outflow of Hebbal Lake are obstructed, or whether natural aqueducts of the underground flow of water are obstructed. This has to be submitted along with materials to substantiate the same within 10 days, the court ordered.
A division bench of Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice KS Hemalekha passed the order after hearing the petition filed by Guruprasad RK, Rishvanjas Raghavan and Elizabeth Soumya. The court also issued notice to the state government and other respondents to the petition.
The project will be stayed if the affidavit is not filed by the state government within the said deadline by trying to take any adjournments, the court cautioned the state government orally, while adjourning the hearing to August 24.
Before this, counsel for the petitioners submitted that they have also challenged the validity of Section 12 of the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority Act, as amended in 2026, which permits roads and allied infrastructure within the environmentally sensitive lake ecosystems.
While arguing that the proposed project will affect inflow and outflow of the lake and there is no reference to the same in the detailed project report (DPR), the counsel also drew the attention of the court to the proposed felling of more than 800 trees for the project.
The DPR itself acknowledges that the proposed project traverses Hebbal valley immediately abutting Hebbal Lake, and the DPR contains discussions concerning groundwater conditions, flood considerations and stormwater systems, the counsel argued.
The petitioners also contended that the tunnel road project had been advanced in complete disregard of the mandatory statutory framework established under the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA) Act, 2022. The proposed Red Line Metro corridor is also planned to traverse the same transport corridor.
However, no material has been discussed demonstrating that the combined impact of the Metro proposal and impugned project has been evaluated through the integrated planning mechanism contemplated under the BMLTA Act, the petitioners alleged.
