Bengaluru Citizens Protest Hebbal-Silk Board Tunnel Road Project at Lalbagh

Thousands of citizens gathered at Lalbagh on Sunday to protest against the proposed 17km Hebbal–Silk Board Twin Tunnel Road Project and the Karnataka Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, declaring the gathering the start of a larger movement to protect urban green spaces.

Led by 91-year-old retired Indian Forest Service officer AN Yellappa Reddy, demonstrators across age groups marched from the Lalbagh gates to the iconic Lalbagh Rock. Participants raised slogans, formed a human chain around the rock, and held banners reading ‘Save Lalbagh’ while hugging the geological formation.

Protesters demanded that the proposed entry and exit ramps for the Hebbal–Silk Board tunnel road near Lalbagh be abandoned. They also voiced strong opposition to the legislative provision permitting the alienation of up to 5% of parkland, demanding strict safeguards for the city's parks and natural heritage.

Bengaluru Members of Parliament Shobha Karandlaje, Dr CN Manjunath, PC Mohan, and Tejasvi Surya joined the demonstration. Calling the legislation “anti-environment”, Dr Manjunath stated that while humans need nature, nature does not need humans.

Dr Manjunath advocated for sustainable urban mobility through the “BMW formula” — Bicycle, Metro, and Walking — rather than increasing dependence on private vehicles. Describing air pollution as the “new tobacco”, he urged the state government to expand green spaces by 5% instead of allowing parkland alienation.

Karandlaje stated that the government was pursuing a real estate-centric approach and warned that the environmental threat would not remain confined to Lalbagh, demanding that the amendment be struck down. Mohan described the bill as “draconian” and raised questions regarding the scientific basis of the tunnel road initiative.

Surya called the Lalbagh Rock a three-billion-year-old protected geological entity and stated that the protest served as a clear warning to the government. He demanded that the tunnel road plan be scrapped in favour of sustainable public transport.

Yellappa Reddy delivered a sharp warning regarding environmental destruction, pointing out that decades are required for a tree to grow, whereas buildings can be erected in a few years, urging authorities to preserve irreplaceable natural resources.