Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru
Bengaluru, May 5: The Karnataka government is moving ahead with its ambitious tunnel road project in Bengaluru, with tenders set to be invited soon, deputy chief minister D K Shivakumar announced on Monday.
The 60-km underground tunnel road, spanning the city’s East-West and North-South corridors, aims to decongest Bengaluru’s traffic by connecting key arterial roads while preserving surface space. The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has earmarked Rs 42,000 crore for the project, including Rs 17,780 crore for tunnels along NH-7 from Hebbal to Silk Board, a notorious traffic choke point.
A detailed project report is underway, with the government also providing Rs 19,000 crore as a financial guarantee. The state has proposed collaboration with the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to link NH-7 with NH-14, and has requested funding support from union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
However, land acquisition remains a key hurdle. “We have requested land from the military and are also in the process of acquiring property from private owners and the Metro,” said Shivakumar, who also handles Bengaluru development and urban planning.
Meanwhile, Shivakumar confirmed Karnataka’s commitment to raising the height of the Almatti Dam (Lal Bahadur Shastri Dam) on the Krishna River from 519 to 524 meters. “Legal consultations are underway, and we are expecting a report within two days,” he said, reiterating that the government will proceed regardless of objections from neighbouring states.
The Almatti Dam, part of the Upper Krishna River Project, has long been a source of interstate water disputes. Following a legal verdict in Karnataka’s favour, CM Siddaramaiah recently emphasised the need for a gazette notification to implement the second tribunal’s allocation of 173 TMC of water to Karnataka. The issue will be raised at the May 7 meeting of the four riparian states convened by the union Jal Shakti minister.
Responding to a query on Rahul Gandhi’s alleged remarks about Lord Ram, Shivakumar said he was unaware of the comment and would respond after reviewing it.
He also confirmed plans to visit Channarayapatna and surrounding regions in Mandya and Ramanagara districts, where pending water supply projects and farmers' cooperation will be reviewed along with local Congress leaders.