A wave of public outrage is sweeping Bengaluru over a plan to build an 8-lane highway right through the Jarakabande Kaval Reserve Forest, one of the city’s last lungs. Residents and environmentalists are going all out to stop the project, warning of severe and potentially irreversible damage to Bengaluru’s natural and social fabric.
Forest on the Chopping Block
The Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) wants 25 acres of the Jarakabande Kaval Reserve Forest for the Peripheral Ring Road (PRR), now rebadged as the Bangalore Business Corridor. Construction of this 73.5-kilometer highway would eat up 7.91 hectares of protected forest and destroy more than 600 trees—an ecological blow that critics say the city simply cannot afford. The proposed 763-meter stretch cuts straight through a patch of wilderness that plays a major role in keeping Bengaluru’s air clean and groundwater levels up.
Water Sources Face Decimation
The threat doesn’t end with the trees. Over 13,000 more trees will be felled in the catchment of the city’s Thippagondanahalli Reservoir, a lifeline for drinking water. The road’s alignment endangers six lakes—Jarakabande Tank, Chinnagenahalli, Chikkabanahalli, Gunjur, Chikkatogur, and Thirumenahalli. Experts warn this will damage the delicate lacustrine ecosystem, worsen Bengaluru’s already chronic flooding (which cost ₹198 crore in damages this year), and fuel the loss of the few lakes that make survival in this ‘City of Lakes’ possible.
Carbon and Air Quality Impact
The impact on air quality could be devastating. According to the BDA’s own Environmental Impact Assessment, construction and maintenance will spew 600,000 tonnes of CO₂—equivalent to burning 240 million liters of petrol. That number doesn’t even factor in the emissions from increased traffic, or the loss of carbon absorption if more than 33,000 mature trees are chopped down along the full length of the corridor.
People and Wildlife Lose Out
Along with the environmental hit, thousands of families face displacement with little clarity on what—if any—compensation awaits them. The project’s route runs close to Bannerghatta National Park and Puttenahalli Bird Reserve. Scientists and activists worry that connectivity for wildlife will be severed, opening the door to poaching, encroachment, and more habitat loss.
A Dubious Approval Process
The BDA’s efforts to secure approval have prompted a mountain of questions. Two public hearings were struck down by courts, and a subsequent meeting in 2022 saw minimal community engagement. Nevertheless, the project got Environmental Clearance in 2023. Confusion persists: while the EIA said only 3.7 acres of forest would be needed, the BDA asked for 25. Even the then-Commissioner admitted he had no explanation for the difference.
Stakeholders Join Forces
Jhatkaa.org, in partnership with LifeTide India, is at the center of the growing resistance, bringing in residents, environmental groups, and legal advocates. They’re appealing to five government bodies—the BDA, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Karnataka State Forest Department, and Singanayakahalli Panchayat—to halt the project and restore transparency.
Public Outcry Grows
Momentum is building: as of now, 1,829 people have registered their protest online, aiming for 5,000 signatures. The petition (https://act.jhatkaa.org/campaigns/save-jarakabande-kaval-forest-stop-the-peripheral-ring-road) calls for:
An immediate stop to PRR work
Public release of all environmental and project documents
An end to all land acquisition and tree felling until transparency is restored
A fresh, transparent public consultation
A Saga of Opposition
This battle has simmered for nearly twenty years—ever since the PRR idea surfaced as a fix for snarled Bengaluru traffic. Protests spiked in 2021 when the government floated the idea of building a tree park inside the forest, a move campaigners said would only worsen the crisis for wildlife and biodiversity.
Uncertain Future
The PRR remains in the planning and approval phase. Activists are betting that public protest, legal challenges, and citizen engagement can still change the outcome. In their view, risking the last remnants of Bengaluru’s natural heritage for another ring road is not a price the city can pay for so-called development.
