In Bengaluru, residents gathered over the weekend to form a human chain around the iconic Lalbagh Rock, a geological formation dating back roughly three billion years, in an emphatic show of opposition to a proposed tunnel road project that they argue would irreparably damage the ancient landmark. The protest, organised by civic groups and heritage conservationists, drew participation from citizens and public figures who argue that the rock — one of the oldest exposed geological features in the city — is a non-renewable scientific and cultural treasure that cannot be replaced once lost.
Lalbagh Rock, located within the 240-acre Lalbagh Botanical Garden, predates both the Himalayan range and the dinosaurs, geologists note, making it a rare window into the Precambrian era. The formation has long served as a point of civic pride and a reference site for earth science students and researchers. Any tunnelling or ramp construction in its immediate vicinity, experts warn, could destabilise the monolith and disrupt the hydrology of the surrounding parkland.
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The flashpoint for the current agitation is a proposed tunnel road whose ramps fall within the boundaries of Lalbagh. Critics contend that the project was made possible by a recently enacted provision that permits parkland to be deployed for public utility infrastructure. With public anger mounting and senior political figures joining the chorus for a rethink, the state government has indicated that the contentious legislation is now under review.
Environmental lawyer and heritage campaigner groups have separately moved to seek legal recourse, arguing that the law itself contravenes existing protections for notified gardens and biodiversity zones in Karnataka. They have demanded that any alignment requiring parkland be abandoned in favour of alternative routes that do not compromise the rock, the botanical gardens, or the wider Lalbagh ecosystem, which hosts centuries-old plant specimens curated since the time of Hyder Ali and Tipu Sultan.
