Bengaluru, 12 Oct (H.S.): Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya has urged the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to abandon the proposed two-kilometre Hebbal short tunnel, describing it as unscientific and alleging that its ₹1,350-crore cost would amount to a waste of public money.

Questioning whether the project would ease congestion, Surya said vehicles bypassing the junction through the tunnel would rejoin the same road barely two kilometres ahead. He argued that this would shift traffic bottlenecks rather than provide a lasting solution.

The MP also raised environmental concerns, alleging that construction would require felling 1,128 trees. He warned that the project could increase flooding risks around Hebbal Lake and adversely affect groundwater.

The state government is also planning a flyover corridor to address congestion in the area. Surya, however, contended that the proposed tunnel could aggravate traffic problems and called for greater investment in public transport.

He pointed to the Blue Line Metro under construction, the planned Red and Orange lines and a suburban rail link as opportunities to improve connectivity around Hebbal.

Surya alleged that the proposed Veterinary College Metro station on the Red Line had been dropped to accommodate the tunnel and flyover projects. The station could have served more than 18,000 passengers daily, he said, questioning the decision to sacrifice public transport infrastructure.

Citing assessments by the Indian Institute of Science and the state Finance Department, he claimed that the tunnel’s cost per passenger would be six times that of the Metro.

He further said the Finance Department had flagged concerns about the project’s expenditure, design and ability to relieve congestion.

Bengaluru should prioritise building an extensive, dependable public transport network, Surya said, reiterating his demand that the BDA scrap the Hebbal tunnel proposal and focus instead on strengthening mass transit services to meet the city’s growing daily travel needs more effectively.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman