Campaign partners: Kathyayini Chamaraj
Decision Makers:
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dk Shivakumar
Demands:
Scrap the Rs 16,500 Crore Tunnel Road Project in Bangalore
Scrap the sky-deck project
Instead of tunnel roads, use the funds to construct rainwater storage tunnels
Expand public transport to ensure 75% usage
Promote sustainable mobility solutions like buses, suburban rail, walkability, and cycling to reduce congestion
Implement measures like congestion taxes, parking fees, and restrictions on multiple car ownership
Focus on developing tier-2 and tier-3 cities to ensure balanced regional development and prevent concentration of economic opportunities in tier-1 cities.
Allocate funds to improve public healthcare and education for all 7 crore residents of Karnataka
Use funds for local waste composting and processing centers rather than transporting garbage to distant areas
What’s the issue?
The Karnataka government is spending a staggering amount of money – over ₹50,000 crores – on luxury projects like tunnel roads, expressways, and a sky-deck, while basic needs like health, education, active mobility, flooding and water scarcity issues remain unaddressed.
The underground tunnel road project, the work for which is expected to begin early 2025, will benefit only 2.8% of the population who can afford private cars, raising concerns about inequality in resource allocation.
The 18-km corridor is slated to link Hebbal in the north to the Central Silk Board junction in the south and covers all Outer Ring Road areas. However, it was proposed without input from the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA), the statutory authority for urban mobility planning. Additionally, no public consultations were held, and decisions bypassed constitutional planning bodies like the Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) and BBMP.
Bengaluru’s complex ecology also means that projects like the underground tunnel road could exacerbate risks of landslides, sinkholes and groundwater disruption.
The sky-deck is a 250-metre-high tower, intended to be the tallest in South Asia. It is estimated to cost ₹500 crore and is being touted as a symbol of urban advancement. Apart from vanity purposes, it is believed that the tower has no specific use other than being a tourist attraction.
We are calling on the State government to instead allocate those funds to resolve pertinent civic issues that plague Bengaluru.
It’s high time the government prioritises utilisation of public money in areas that need improvement the most. The Karnataka government must address Bengaluru’s acute water crisis. With borewells drying up, and flooding worsening, many experts have recommended building rainwater storage tunnels beneath roads.
Regional development must be balanced. This means, it’s important to invest in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in a bid to reduce the economic strain on Bengaluru. Doubling expenditure on health and education from 15% to 30% will ensure quality facilities for Karnataka residents.. To tackle Bengaluru’s waste problem, Rs. 590 crore spent annually on garbage transport could be redirected to provide compost bins for 3 million households and local processing centers.
The need of the hour is a robust public transport system. At present, there are more than 1.2 crore private vehicles in Bengaluru. Measures like congestion tax, graded parking fee, and minimising second or third car purchases are critical to disincentivise private vehicle usage. Instead, the focus must be on developing reliable public transport infrastructure like buses, suburban rail, cycling and walking paths.
Sources:
‘Rs 50,000 cr for roads, what about better buses?’
Bengaluru tunnel road work to begin by the first half of 2025: Karnataka Dy CM DK Shivakumar
Campaign partners: Kathyayini Chamaraj
Decision Makers:
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah
Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Dk Shivakumar
Demands:
Scrap the Rs 16,500 Crore Tunnel Road Project in Bangalore
Scrap the sky-deck project
Instead of tunnel roads, use the funds to construct rainwater storage tunnels
Expand public transport to ensure 75% usage
Promote sustainable mobility solutions like buses, suburban rail, walkability, and cycling to reduce congestion
Implement measures like congestion taxes, parking fees, and restrictions on multiple car ownership
Focus on developing tier-2 and tier-3 cities to ensure balanced regional development and prevent concentration of economic opportunities in tier-1 cities.
Allocate funds to improve public healthcare and education for all 7 crore residents of Karnataka
Use funds for local waste composting and processing centers rather than transporting garbage to distant areas
What’s the issue?
The Karnataka government is spending a staggering amount of money – over ₹50,000 crores – on luxury projects like tunnel roads, expressways, and a sky-deck, while basic needs like health, education, active mobility, flooding and water scarcity issues remain unaddressed.
The underground tunnel road project, the work for which is expected to begin early 2025, will benefit only 2.8% of the population who can afford private cars, raising concerns about inequality in resource allocation.
The 18-km corridor is slated to link Hebbal in the north to the Central Silk Board junction in the south and covers all Outer Ring Road areas. However, it was proposed without input from the Bengaluru Metropolitan Land Transport Authority (BMLTA), the statutory authority for urban mobility planning. Additionally, no public consultations were held, and decisions bypassed constitutional planning bodies like the Metropolitan Planning Committee (MPC) and BBMP.
Bengaluru’s complex ecology also means that projects like the underground tunnel road could exacerbate risks of landslides, sinkholes and groundwater disruption.
The sky-deck is a 250-metre-high tower, intended to be the tallest in South Asia. It is estimated to cost ₹500 crore and is being touted as a symbol of urban advancement. Apart from vanity purposes, it is believed that the tower has no specific use other than being a tourist attraction.
We are calling on the State government to instead allocate those funds to resolve pertinent civic issues that plague Bengaluru.
It’s high time the government prioritises utilisation of public money in areas that need improvement the most. The Karnataka government must address Bengaluru’s acute water crisis. With borewells drying up, and flooding worsening, many experts have recommended building rainwater storage tunnels beneath roads.
Regional development must be balanced. This means, it’s important to invest in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in a bid to reduce the economic strain on Bengaluru. Doubling expenditure on health and education from 15% to 30% will ensure quality facilities for Karnataka residents.. To tackle Bengaluru’s waste problem, Rs. 590 crore spent annually on garbage transport could be redirected to provide compost bins for 3 million households and local processing centers.
The need of the hour is a robust public transport system. At present, there are more than 1.2 crore private vehicles in Bengaluru. Measures like congestion tax, graded parking fee, and minimising second or third car purchases are critical to disincentivise private vehicle usage. Instead, the focus must be on developing reliable public transport infrastructure like buses, suburban rail, cycling and walking paths.
Sources:
‘Rs 50,000 cr for roads, what about better buses?’
Bengaluru tunnel road work to begin by the first half of 2025: Karnataka Dy CM DK Shivakumar