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BJP MP Tejaswi Surya has sought an independent technical review of the Hebbal Short Tunnel Project, flagging concerns over its design, safety, use of Hebbal Lake land and integration with Bengaluru's future public transport network.
In a letter to Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, Surya said the 2.2-km project connecting Hebbal Junction with the Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU) is estimated to cost Rs 1,139 crore and has commenced. Surya said the proposed tunnel passes through lake land, with 3.45 acres of Hebbal Lake transferred for the project. He also claimed that the project was notified without the approval of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA), despite representations and objections from citizens. Raising concerns over the project's design, Surya said it could have "serious safety and operational" issues, including unsafe curves at the tunnel entry and exit, inadequate merge lengths, infringement of the lake buffer zone, possible ramp tailbacks and prolonged traffic disruption on Hebbal Road during construction. He also said the proposal appears to conflict with the proposed Red Line (Phase 3A) Metro corridor and Suburban Rail alignment. "Reports also indicate that the proposed Veterinary College Metro Station has been dropped, adversely affecting future public transport integration," Surya said in his letter. He said these issues point to a lack of integrated, long-term transport planning for Bengaluru. Surya has requested the Chief Minister to order a comprehensive traffic simulation and an independent technical assessment by the IISc Sustainable Transportation Lab (IST Lab) before any further execution of the project. He has also sought the views of the Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT) and BMLTA before the project proceeds further. "In the larger interest of Bengaluru and in view of the concerns raised by citizens, I urge your intervention to ensure that the project undergoes an independent technical review before any further execution," Surya said in the letter to the CM Shivakumar. The BJP MP also urged the Karnataka government to institutionalise a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for all major urban transport projects in the state, mandating independent technical evaluation, integrated multimodal planning and consultation with relevant statutory agencies before project approval. (ANI)
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