GREEN MINUTE NEWS:
The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has called for Public Objections to Karnataka chief minister’s ambitious underground Twin Tunnel Project in Bengaluru. In this regard, a public notice has been issued on September 20,2026 by GBA Tree Officer & DCF as the first part of theTwin Tunnel Project entails felling of a whopping 1128 trees for the Hebbal stretch of 2.3 kilometres in the heart of Bengaluru that is overpopulated and congested.
The public objections to this eco-hazardous project have to be filed by citizens, environmentalists, activists and others within September 29, 2026. Objections, comments and suggestions have to be filed to the Tree Officer & DCF, GBA, Bengaluru on email id: [email protected]
It looks like the Bengaluru Development Authority has divided the Hebbal-Central Silk Board Twin Tunnel Project into bits and pieces to avoid environmental and legal clearances and hassles:
- The initial Hebbal stretch of the project is 2.3 kilometres long which stretches between Hebbal Junction and University of Agricultural Sciences.
- Nearly 1128 trees have to be felled along Hebbal Main Road for the construction of the 2.3 kms underground Twin Tunnels.
- The trees are native, endemic and some of them are of heritage value.
- This stretch will be a three-lane bi-directional road underpass between Hebbal Junction and UAS Staff Quarters via KVAFSU.
FELLING OF 1128 TREES
However, this underground 2.3-KM-long twin tunnel project has come in the way of 1128 trees and shockings, there are many mature, endemic and native trees which have to make way for infrastructure development once again in an over-burdened and over-congested city like Bengaluru for no fault of theirs. Instead of decongesting the city and developing other cities in the state, all development works are being concentrated in Bengaluru leading to eco-destruction of Bengaluru, says Vijay Nishanth, Tree Doctor and Urban Conservationist.
More than 60 different species native to Bengaluru and other species which include fruit bearing trees, medicinal species, and other pollination friendly trees supporting butterfly population and birds will be felled to make way for the initial phase of twin tunnel project.
Several native and adapted species in Bengaluru which are highly recognized for their exceptional oxygen production, air-purifying efficiency, and suitability to the local climate, will be felled for this project. The felling of 1128 trees will impact 180 bird species in the entire project while the green corridor between Hebbal Lake and the UAS campus, they are home to many roosting and wetland species.
The tree species falling on the Twin Tunnel Project include – Peepal, Banyan tree, Neem, Indian Beechtree, Jamun, Pongamia, cannonball tree, Indian Gooseberry, False Ashok, Tabebuia, Bougainvillea, rain tree, Jacaranda, gulmohar, Mysore fig, etc. A citizen-science platform in Bengaluru has identified and documented these many species including heritage trees with some of them being more than 100 years old falling along the Hebbal stretch of the 2.3 kilometre-long project.
Public Objections have been invited by Greater Bengaluru Authority under Section 8 (3) (vii) of the Karnataka Preservation of Tree Act, 1978. However, activists say the description of tree species, location, area, etc that have been uploaded on the website of GBA are never ever accessible and it is difficult to open the site. “For the convenience of commuters, can we afford to lose so many trees in the city. With 2000 people migrating to Bengaluru everyday, no increase in new roads, water sources, tunnels, flyovers, underpasses or five-six lane roads can to cater to the growing population?”