Central committee approves Peripheral Ring Road for Bengaluru, but with certain riders

BENGALURU: The Expert Appraisal Committee of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest Climate Change (MoEF) has finally approved the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR) project proposed by the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), subject to certain conditions. Once completed, the PRR is expected to significantly lessen the traffic burden within the city.

The 73.5 km eight-lane Peripheral Ring Road will connect Tumkur Road and Hosur Road via Ballari Road, Old Madras Road and Sarjapur Road passing through six lakes and the Thippagondanahalli reservoir catchment area. The project will also require 32,000 trees to be cut.

In 2014, the NGT had struck down the nod given by the state tribunal for the project. Now, while approving the project, the central committee has imposed several condition, including planting an equal number of trees that will be chopped down. Among the other conditions include afforestation and rainwater harvesting, and heritage trees cannot be chopped.

Land acquisition for the project is expected to be another major issue and the BDA has plannd to send a fresh proposal regarding this to the state government.