The High Court of Karnataka has warned that it will halt work on Bengaluru’s proposed short tunnel project near the Hebbal flyover if the state government fails to submit a timely report evaluating its impact on Hebbal Lake and local water systems.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Vibhu Bakhru and Justice K.S. Hemalekha issued a notice instructing the state government to submit an affidavit detailing whether comprehensive studies were conducted on how the construction would affect the 143-acre water body in Bengaluru North. The court specifically instructed authorities to address potential disruptions to underground water currents as well as natural inflow and outflow channels. Warning against procedural delays, the bench orally cautioned that failure to file the reply before the next scheduled hearing on August 20 would result in an immediate stay on the project.
Legal Challenge To Infrastructure Development
The judicial warning follows a public interest petition filed by three residents—Guruprasad R.K., Rishvanjas Raghavan, and Elizabeth Soumya. Representing the petitioners, legal counsel Sneha Nagaraj informed the court that the project route passes directly beneath the tank bed, an area housing several essential stormwater drains.
Counsel highlighted that the state government’s own detailed project report acknowledges that water inflow into the lake will be affected by the construction. Pointing to public statements by officials, the petitioners argued that no scientific or hydrological assessments were executed prior to initiating underground work on the tank bed.
Contested Statutory Amendments And Environmental Demands
The legal dispute centers on statutory protections governing water bodies in the state. Under the unamended provisions of Section 12 of the Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority Act, 2014, all construction within 30 meters of a lake was strictly prohibited. However, a legislative amendment passed in 2025 permitted specific infrastructure activities near tanks, provided the natural water flow and original storage capacity remained unimpaired.
The petition asks the High Court to declare the 2025 amendment unconstitutional, arguing that it violates fundamental rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution. In addition to seeking the cancellation of the project’s detailed report for the three-lane bi-directional underpass, the plea demands a freeze on all work until independent expert agencies complete hydrological, hydrogeological, flood-risk, and environmental impact assessments. The petitioners are also seeking to prevent the cutting of approximately 890 trees planned for the project area.
De-Congestion Plan For Northern Corridor
The 2.5-kilometer cut-and-cover tunnel is designed to alleviate severe traffic bottlenecks along Bellary Road, a segment of the National Highway where further surface road widening has been ruled out. Jointly executed by the Greater Bengaluru Authority and the Bengaluru Development Authority, the Rs 1,385-crore toll-free underground pass is scheduled for completion within 18 months.
As designed, the transit corridor extends from the Hebbal flyover junction to the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University campus. The project plan incorporates an underpass at Mekhri Circle built along the middle of Bellary Road to maintain surface traffic flow, alongside underground segments traversing the Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra campus and roadways flanking Hebbal Lake.
