Thousands rally to save Bengaluru’s Lalbagh, oppose tunnel road project
Thousands congregated at Lalbagh Botanical Park in Bengaluru on August 31, 2026 to oppose the Parks Amendment Bill.
On Sunday, a significant gathering took place at the famous Lalbagh in Bengaluru, as hundreds of locals protested a recent change to the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) Act. The amendment permits the utilization of up to 5% of the city's protected parkland for public infrastructure purposes. This event marked the start of the "Walk in Lalbagh.
Walk for Lalbagh" campaign, led by residents who are vehemently opposing the erosion of the city's open spaces. The recent passage of the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, in the Karnataka Assembly has amplified concerns over the potential impact on iconic parks like Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park.
The proposed legislation allows the government to seize up to 12 acres of Lal Bagh and 15 acres of Cubbon Park for public projects. Protesting at the scene, Bengaluru South BJP MP Tejasvi Surya emphasized the importance of preserving these spaces: "We are for development but not against the cost of iconic spaces of the city. Lalbagh is not a pizza to cut into slices.
Our demand is to protect these parks from real estate and withdraw the tunnel project. We will not stop till then. If saving Lalbagh and other parks is a crime, we will do this crime every day."
Adding weight to the concerns, former government secretary for ecology and environment, 90-year-old Yellappa Reddy, participated in the demonstration. He questioned the rationale behind the 5% limit, asking who decided this figure and whether it was validated by experts. Reddy's letter to Karnataka Chief Secretary Shalini Rajneesh highlighted the lack of scientific studies justifying the removal of such a substantial portion of parkland without considering its ecological implications.
Bengaluru is home to over 1,353 parks, with the 240-acre Lalbagh Botanical Garden and the expansive 197-acre Cubbon Park standing out as the city's most celebrated green areas. The debate sparked by the amendment has ignited a controversy over the balance between development and preserving Bengaluru's precious green lungs.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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