Tunnel roads and towers can wait

Tunnel roads are feasible only on a few major arterial roads in the City.

In his Republic Day speech, Karnataka Governor Tawarchand Gehlot made a grand announcement: “In order to find a permanent solution to the congestion of Bengaluru city, it is proposed to construct tunnel roads in select places. The preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) with the help of an international agency for the construction of a two-kilometre tunnel road has been initiated.” He further added that the process of inviting tenders for the white topping of major roads at a cost of Rs 2,000 crore has also been initiated.

While the intended project aims to construct underground tunnel roads that include 12 high-density corridors, it raises concerns about the state government’s priorities for Bengaluru’s development. Despite the importance of improving the city’s infrastructure, the projects undertaken seem to neglect basic needs, adding to people’s misery. The purpose of tunnel roads, ostensibly to facilitate smoother automobile flow at higher speeds, may inadvertently contribute to the proliferation of vehicles—currently, 12 million—contradicting the stated objective of resolving congestion.

Tunnel roads are feasible only on a few major arterial roads, like Ballari Road, Tumakuru Road, Hosur Road, and Old Madras Road, not on all roads where vehicles ply. The authorities would be well advised to go around residential areas of the city (most of them have turned commercial), with narrow streets where it is difficult to negotiate even two cars. The influx of SUVs exacerbates the problem, along with the escalating need for parking spaces, which now extend beyond commercial zones to cover roads and walkways.

The real solution lies not in building tunnel roads and corridors but in addressing mobility comprehensively and accommodating different types of commuting: walking, cycling, driving, and parking. A well-considered mobility policy and a comprehensive implementation plan are necessary. Not that policies are lacking. The National Urban Transport Policy formulated by the central government in 2006 and revised subsequently, has clearly spelt out that priority must be accorded to public transport and has suggested measures to strengthen the public transport system, such as equitable allocation of road space, providing safe access to public transport from non-motorised transport, adopting modern technologies, appropriate pricing to make public transport viable, integrated public transport system that allows seamless travel between systems managed by different operators such as the metro rail and private operators and creating public awareness --all essential for making the entire transport system function smoothly.

The BMRCL (Metro Rail) brought out a Comprehensive Mobility Plan for Bengaluru in 2020 with a vision of an efficient and sustainable transportation system for equitable mobility access and minimising negative externalities. It defined three goals:

1) Increase the mode share of public transportation.

2) Regain road infrastructure for the public good, and

3) Reduce the transportation sector’s contribution to air pollution and GHG emissions.

The emphasis, both in central and state policy goals, is clearly on ‘public good’, which involves not only encouraging public transport but limiting the number of private vehicles that contribute to congestion and pollution. The decision to build tunnel roads contradicts these policy goals. Experts from the Indian Institute of Science have opined that the tunnel project is bound to be a disaster as it will neither reduce congestion nor reduce air pollution. On the other hand, Metro will be 40 times more efficient, as it will reduce the number of cars on the road and will bring down both pollution and accidental deaths. In terms of cost, metro is cheaper at Rs 243 crore per km compared to tunnel roads at Rs 500 crore per km.

This leads to the pressing issue of the environment, which must seriously engage the government. According to the WHO, India accounts for about 25% of the over seven million premature deaths caused by air pollution across the world. More private vehicles on Bengaluru roads would worsen air pollution, affecting a city already grappling with high rates of asthma and other respiratory diseases. The proposal of white topping the roads, apart from the high cost (nearly Rs 10 crore per km compared to asphalt roads costing Rs 70–90 lakh), will result in generating more heat.

It is strange that we are taking up climate-unfriendly projects when Bengaluru is one of the C-40 cities, which aims at limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees C and building healthy, equitable, and resilient communities. BBMP must focus its attention on implementing its own Blue Climate Action Plan (BCAP) rather than wasting its time and resources on fancy projects, the latest of which is starting a medical college. The irony is that BBMP has proposed to transfer the schools and colleges it is presently running to the Education Department but does not mind taking responsibility for medical education, little knowing its implications.

Not satisfied with tunnels and white-top roads, the government has planned to put up a 250-metre-high Sky Deck in the IT city, which will be the tallest tower in India, a luxury project that will delight the rich and the elite with revolving restaurants and bars!

With the alarming effects of climate change looming large and natural resources depleting, more construction activity will only adversely impact the environment. Of late, the concept of building ‘less for more’ is gaining significance, calling for compact and efficient designs to optimise space and resource utilisation, minimise environmental impact, and at the same time increase the efficiency of infrastructure and transportation.

It’s time for Bengaluru’s experts and concerned citizens to devise an action plan, urging decision-makers to reconsider unsustainable urban development. The goal should be an approach that safeguards public health, makes communities more resilient to climate change, and aligns with the city’s long-term well-being.

(The writer is a former chief secretary, Government of Karnataka)