Hebbal Short Tunnel Tree Plan: What It Means for Buyers in Hebbal

What happened?

The Hindu reported that 1,128 trees are marked along the Hebbal short tunnel route in north Bengaluru. BDA Chairman N.A. Haris said 1,072 of them would be transplanted and 56 felled. He added that the Tree Committee must still approve this.

According to The Hindu, the Greater Bengaluru Authority had earlier invited citizen objections after the BDA sought permission for all 1,128 trees, across more than 80 species. The paper reported a strong public reaction, including an online petition with 20,000 signatures. Mr. Haris rejected claims that the tunnel would harm groundwater or Hebbal Lake. He said the alignment stays clear of the lake and that filters are now planned to keep water moving.

The Hindu also reported that Mr. Haris answered an IISc finding that the tunnel could create new choke points. He said a connected flyover would be built, linking to an elevated corridor at Mehkri Circle planned by B-SMILE. Separately, BDA Commissioner P. Manivannan said a joint site inspection with NGOs would look at saving some of the 56 trees, including through a change in alignment if the NGOs propose one.

Which sectors are affected?

• Hebbal, Bengaluru
• Hebbal–Bellary Road corridor
• North Bengaluru residential market
• Mehkri Circle and Yeshwanthpur approach

Distance from the projects

Distances as sourced on our research pages.

Potential impact

For now this is a clearance and public-consultation story, not a construction milestone. A smaller felling count may ease one obstacle, but approval, objections from citizens and NGOs, and the IISc concerns about congestion at the tunnel ends remain open. Any price effect in Hebbal and nearby north Bengaluru localities depends on the tunnel actually being built and working as intended, which is years away and uncertain.

If the project does proceed and cuts travel time, demand for homes along the Bellary Road side could firm up gradually. Construction itself usually brings disruption first, which can dampen interest in the immediate stretch. Against a Bengaluru average of 12,800 rupees per sq ft in our data, buyers should not assume Hebbal prices will rise because of this announcement alone.