Tunnel Road Project May Threaten BTC’s Future

 

 

By Sharan Kumar

 

The ambitious and controversial underground tunnel road connecting Central Silk Board to Hebbal may end up disrupting more than just surface traffic—it could seriously jeopardize the functioning of the Bangalore Turf Club (BTC), especially if land abutting the backstretch of the racecourse is taken over, even temporarily.

 

Pitched as a game-changer for Bengaluru’s traffic woes, the ₹17,698-crore tunnel project is designed exclusively for four-wheeler traffic and will run entirely underground. But despite its scale and intent, critics have slammed it as an exorbitantly priced venture with limited utility—particularly when compared to the metro expansion, which promises broader connectivity at a fraction of the cost.

 

Nevertheless, the government is pressing ahead. Bengaluru Smart Infrastructure Ltd (B-SMILE), the agency executing the project, has identified five locations across the city for constructing massive 6.5-acre shafts—each plunging 100 feet underground—to launch tunnel boring machines (TBMs). One such site lies perilously close to the BTC racecourse, in front of Freedom Park.

 

This is where alarm bells begin to ring. The shaft's proposed location abuts the backstretch of the race track, putting not just land but the very integrity of the racing circuit at risk. Even a temporary incursion could spell catastrophe for the sport. It’s not just about square footage—it’s about where that square footage lies.

 

BBMP officials have already begun conducting land surveys at the BTC premises. A senior club official confirmed that the committee had met the project head, who assured them that the alignment would be modified to avoid interfering with racing activities. While that assurance offers temporary relief, there is no written guarantee yet.

 

Club representatives are also expected to meet Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar for further clarity. The Deputy CM has been the most vocal proponent of the project and seems determined to see it through, objections notwithstanding. His influence within the current government suggests that the tunnel road is not just a proposal—it’s a political priority. Whether or not its long-term social, environmental, and institutional costs are fully considered remains uncertain.

 

For now, the BTC can breathe a little easier. But as long as the project remains alive on paper, the threat of disruption will hover over the horizon—not immediate, but never truly out of sight.

This is not the first time the club has been under siege. During the road-widening of Seshadri Road years ago, BTC had to demolish its roadside stables. Today, there’s barely any buffer between the road and the racecourse’s boundary wall. Another 6.5-acre land grab could cut straight into the track itself. Even if the land is returned post-construction, the damage would be irreversible. Racing would have to be halted, and laying a new track on the inner circuit is neither technically viable nor financially feasible. Already among the tightest racecourses in the country, Bangalore’s track cannot afford to be narrowed further.

 

The timing couldn’t be worse. The BTC is already under pressure to relocate, and its recent invitation for new members—at ₹25 lakh plus GST—may be a desperate bid to shore up finances. But expecting the club to mobilize over ₹200 crore to build a new racecourse, even if the government provides land on lease, is simply unrealistic in the present economic climate.

 

While B-SMILE has not yet initiated formal land acquisition proceedings, ground surveys and backroom talks are well underway. Apart from BTC land, other identified sites include portions of Lalbagh Botanical Garden, Palace Grounds, Hebbal, and St John’s Medical College. Yet, none of them is as integral to ongoing operations—or as fragile—as the Bangalore Turf Club.

 

A tunnel may be built underground. But its impact, if poorly aligned, could ripple above ground—shaking the very foundation of one of India’s premier racing institutions.

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The enduring charm of the Bangalore Derby

I never thought that I would become a full-time racing writer when I set out as a journalist in the year 1980. My passion for cricket was what drove me to become a sports journalist. If there are many converts like me in the field of horse racing, you can blame it on the enduring charm of the Derby. Most people come to the Derby because they hear so much about it. Many of them stay back and I was one of them.   The first time I attended any race day was the running of the 1984 Derby. Eddy Cracknell trained Lively Empery was one of the highest priced runners in the fray. The horse reportedly was for sale much before the Derby. Luckily for the trainer it remained unsold and the horse went on to win the Summer Derby as well as the Winter Derby in the hands of Alan Mercer. It won the Derby at odds of 100 to 1.   Legend has it that the current leading trainer Padmanabhan told one of his owners to buy the horse and that he would win the Derby with this horse. The owner was n...
Read more

Rajan Bala, one of a rare kind

Image
One of the finest cricketer writers that India has seen, Rajan Bala, passed away in Bangalore on Friday (October 9) after brief illness. He was truly an inspirational journalist for a generation of sports writers in the country in a career spanning about four decades. I began my career as a sports journalist in Deccan Herald of which he was the Sports Editor. I worked under him later in Indian Express as well though at that time he was stationed in Chennai. He then moved to Mumbai and also had a stint with an eveninger. He returned to Bangalore in the last decade with the intention of retiring from active journalism and keep himself occupied by writing columns for newspapers. But he soon landed another job, this time as the Resident Editor of Bangalore edition of Asian Age and he made me write a column on horse racing. He later became a columnist for Bangalore Mirror and joined a TV company as a consultant editor and yet again, he made me participate in a panel discussion on horse rac...
Read more
Are the British government betting restrictions on the money?   By Rolf Johnson   I’m jumping the gun. The Government’s Gambling Review  might  publish its findings on 17 April but as deadlines for its publication have come and gone over three yawning years, I don’t think there’s need to hold one’s breath long enough to asphyxiate oneself. The delay has nothing to do, we are assured, with the £378,000 that fifty-seven Members of Parliament have received since the last election in hospitality, gifts, donations and wages from bookmakers. The integrity of that largesse has been “checked” though whether as rigorously as it is intended the public’s betting habits are going to be, we’ll have to be patient – until April 17 at least. Theatre audiences continue to attend playwright Samuel Beckett’s 1981 masterpiece ‘Waiting for Godot’ whose message is that repeated nonsensical actions demonstrate man’s inability to give meaning to life. Heavy stuff: but the Gambling Commissio...
Read more