IndiaThe Karnataka government has cleared a bill to amend the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) Act, 1975, allowing up to 5% of park and garden lands to be used for public purposes. Environmentalists and city BJP MPs argue this amendment is aimed at facilitating the 17.1-km Bengaluru North-South Twin Tunnel Road project, which would pass through Lalbagh and require approximately 1.92 hectares of land. Environmental activists claim the amendment is meant to weaken legal challenges to the tunnel project by altering the legal framework under which it is being evaluated. BJP MPs, including L.S. Tejasvi Surya and P.C. Mohan, criticize the bill as a threat to Bengaluru's green spaces, arguing that laws protecting areas like Lalbagh and Cubbon Park should be strengthened rather than weakened. They warn that the amendment could undermine public interest litigation challenging the project. It remains unclear if the bill will be introduced during the current legislative session.
Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the amendment as a politically motivated attempt to bypass judicial scrutiny of the Tunnel Road project, emphasizing concerns from environmentalists and BJP MPs who view it as an attack on green spaces. While the article presents multiple perspectives, the emphasis on the project'
