Citizens Hug Lalbagh Rock to Protest Proposed Hebbal-Silk Board Tunnel Road

Citizens and morning walkers gathered at Lalbagh in Bengaluru on Sunday to hug the ancient peninsular gneiss rock inside the botanical garden, demonstrating their opposition to the proposed Tunnel Road project that is planned to connect Hebbal with Silk Board.

The demonstration, led by the Lalbagh Walkers Association, followed two previous human chain protests at the park. Organisers stated that they chose to silently hug the geological formation after being denied police permission to conduct a standard protest inside the park premises.

Participants voiced serious concerns regarding the project's potential impact on the city's green cover, biodiversity, and geological heritage. They noted that the Lalbagh rock, which dates back millions of years, could suffer irreversible structural damage from blasting and excavation work tied to tunnel construction.

S Umesh, president of the Lalbagh Walkers Association, demanded an immediate cancellation of the initiative. He noted that Lalbagh serves as the lungs and history of the city, and stated that destroying botanical heritage and geological history for concrete infrastructure remains unacceptable.

Highlighting the wider scope of the infrastructure proposals, environmental activist Dattatraya T Devare pointed out that multiple developments are being planned without adequate scientific evaluation. He stated that the proposed tunnel road between Hebbal and Silk Board, a short tunnel between Hebbal and Veterinary College, nine elevated corridors, and metro double-decker projects would cause permanent environmental damage in the absence of detailed expert studies.

Following the silent demonstration at the rock, participants announced that they are preparing to organise a larger protest against the tunnel road project at Freedom Park.