Bengaluru: The state government's ambitious Tunnel Road Project has become a focal point of controversy in the capital, Bengaluru. Alleging that the project will damage the city's historic Lalbagh Botanical Garden, several BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R. Ashoka and Bengaluru South MP Tejasvi Surya, staged a protest at Lalbagh.

R. Ashoka made a serious accusation that the construction of the tunnel road would harm Lalbagh Garden's ecosystem and that approximately 6 acres of the garden's area would be encroached upon for the project's construction activities.

* Environmentalists' Concern: The protesters cited experts who state that the approximately 3000 million-year-old rock formation located in Lalbagh protects Bengaluru from earthquakes. Their argument is that it is not right to compromise heritage sites in the name of development.

Government's Justification and Alternative Thinking

* Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar defended the project, stating that the tunnel road would be constructed without causing any damage to Lalbagh. The government's stance is that since the tunnel will pass hundreds of feet below the garden, the environment will not be affected.

Following the escalating controversy regarding the entry-exit ramp near Lalbagh, the DCM has now stated that he is also considering an alternative route.

* However, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka has demanded that the project should not be implemented under any circumstances.

Technical studies and soil tests regarding the tunnel road are underway, and the debate for and against the project has intensified in Bengaluru.