Bengaluru: The Karnataka Tank Conservation and Development Authority (KTCDA) has granted conditional approval to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to construct a short tunnel through a portion of the Hebbal Lake premises for the proposed tunnel road project. The approval comes with a set of stringent safeguards aimed at protecting the lake’s ecology and minimising environmental impact.The approval covers the transfer of 3.3 acres within the Hebbal Lake premises for the proposed tunnel connecting Hebbal Junction with the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) quarters opposite the Veterinary College on Ballari Road. The BDA had sought the transfer of the land in a letter to the KTCDA in June this year, citing its requirement for the project.In its order, signed by the KTCDA’s chief executive officer, the authority said the project had been approved to help ease traffic congestion, subject to strict environmental safeguards. It stipulated that the lake’s physical structure must remain undisturbed, the natural inflow and outflow of water must not be affected, and access to the lake for both the public and wildlife must remain unrestricted.The authority also directed that no construction debris or pollutants be left behind during or after the execution of the project, and that the lake’s flora and fauna must not be harmed. It further mandated strict compliance with all directions issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) from time to time.The permission is subject to the approval of the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA), the custodian of the lake. However, a senior GBA official said the authority has limited scope to intervene once the KTCDA has granted its approval, as the land falls under the jurisdiction of the revenue department.“While the approval has been granted on the condition that the tunnel will not affect the lake, it is inevitable that the lake will be impacted. The tunnel will alter the lake’s water-holding capacity as well as the natural flow of water into and out of it,” the official said.The official said around 50 trees within the Hebbal lake premises are likely to be affected by the project. These are part of 600 trees expected to be impacted along the entire tunnel alignment, though the final count is yet to be determined. The BDA has said it plans to translocate most of the affected trees.Work on the project has already begun inside Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University (KVAFSU) campus, where excavation is under way on an open stretch. Officials said no trees have been felled so far.Construction within the lake premises is expected to begin in about six months, after the necessary approvals and preparatory work are completed.
