Alyia Krumbiegel plea to Karnataka Governor on 5% Park Bill

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29 Aug 2026

Hon’ble Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot,

Governor of Karnataka

Lok Bhavan

Raj Bhavan Road

Bangalore 560001

Your Excellency:

I hope you will forgive me for writing to you directly.

My name is Alyia Krumbiegel, and I am the great-granddaughter of G.H. Krumbiegel, the renowned horticulturist and landscape visionary who devoted so much of his life to Bengaluru and, in particular, to Lalbagh.

I am writing not as a politician or as someone holding any official position, but simply as a descendant of a man who believed deeply that Bengaluru’s gardens, trees and public spaces were an essential part of the city’s identity, character and future.

Through Heritage Beku,  I have become increasingly involved in efforts to protect Bengaluru’s heritage and green spaces.

The recent passage of the Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) (Amendment) Bill, 2026, allowing up to 5% of parkland to be alienated for specified public infrastructure and utility purposes, has therefore caused me considerable concern.

I fully understand that Bengaluru faces enormous infrastructure and mobility challenges. The city needs better public transport, better connectivity and carefully considered infrastructure to serve its growing population. But I worry that allowing portions of established and historic parks to be surrendered sets a very dangerous precedent.

Five per cent may sound small on paper. In a historic living landscape, it is not necessarily small at all.

A park is not simply an area measured in acres. It is a living ecological system  its mature trees, soil, water systems, biodiversity, landscape design, history and cultural significance are all interconnected.

This is particularly important in the case of Lalbagh, which is not simply another piece of government land. It is part of Bengaluru’s history and one of the city’s most important remaining green spaces.

My great-grandfather’s work there was based on the belief that a great city should live alongside nature, rather than continually sacrifice nature to accommodate the city.

There is also a rather personal connection which I hope you will permit me to mention.

My great-grandfather was involved in looking after the grounds and gardens of what is now Raj Bhavan. I still have in my possession a silver box inscribed to him by Queenie and Terence Bowden in 1936, in appreciation of his care of the gardens.

It is a small but very precious family possession, and to me it represents something much larger a reminder of a time when the care of Bengaluru’s gardens and landscapes was regarded as something of real importance and value.

It also makes my concern for the city’s green heritage deeply personal.

What concerns me most about the present legislation is not simply the number  5%. It is the principle that could be established.

If 5% can be taken today, what protects another percentage being considered tomorrow?

The proposed infrastructure projects affecting or potentially affecting Lalbagh have brought this question into particularly sharp focus.

I recognise that difficult decisions have to be made in a rapidly growing city. However, I believe we must also ask whether we are adequately considering alternatives before permanently altering or sacrificing historic public green spaces.

I am not asking for special treatment for Lalbagh because of my family connection. Quite the opposite. My connection gives me an even stronger sense of responsibility to speak for all of Bengaluru’s public green spaces, whether or not they carry a famous name.

These places belong to the people of Karnataka and, importantly, to generations who have not yet been born.

I therefore respectfully ask whether you would be willing to consider these concerns and whether there is any appropriate avenue through which Heritage Beku and concerned citizens can ensure that the long-term heritage, environmental and public-interest implications of this legislation and the proposed infrastructure projects are properly considered.

My great-grandfather was always a very modest man. He did not create and nurture gardens for personal recognition. He did so because he believed they mattered to people.

I would like to believe that we can honour that philosophy today by finding solutions to Bengaluru’s infrastructure problems without making its historic parks and green spaces the price we pay for progress.

I would be deeply grateful if you would consider my letter. I would also be very happy to share photographs and details of the silver box from 1936, should that be of interest.

With profound respect,

Alyia Krumbiegel

Great-granddaughter of G.H. Krumbiegel

Heritage Beku

Bengaluru / UK

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