New Delhi: The Public Works Department (PWD) has informed the Delhi High Court that the proposed three-lane flyover parallel to the existing single-lane one on the Rao Tula Ram (RTR) Marg on the Outer Ring Road here has been approved after carrying out all due diligence. In its two-page status note submitted before the bench of Justice B D Ahmed and Justice Siddharth Mridul, PWD has said that all due diligence was carried out by all the concerned authorities before approving the proposal and added that it will not hamper the movement of residents of the area.
The civic agency has also submitted that the proposal has been approved by the Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC), Delhi Urban Arts Committee (DUAC) and city government after extensive consultations with all stakeholders, including various Residents Welfare Associations of Vasant Vihar who have opposed the building of the three-lane flyover. PWD has also said that work on the ground is expected to start within the next two The court has listed the matter for further hearing on September 30.
PWD in its status note has also stated that an application has been submitted before the Tree Officer in June this year for cutting trees for the project and has assured that no trees will be cut without permission.
“Compensatory plantation of trees and other requirements as per law would be strictly complied with,” it has said. On last date, the court had sought from PWD the status of the tender invited by it for building the three-lane flyover as well as all the documents associated with the project.
It was hearing a plea of various associations representing the residents of Vasant Vihar who have opposed PWD's decision to build a three-lane flyover parallel to the one already there at an estimated cost of Rs 211 crore.
The associations have sought quashing of the notification by PWD inviting tenders for constructing the three-lane flyover as well as directions to authorities concerned to give in detail the studies carried out by them pursuant to taking the decision to build a new flyover.
Their petition also sought directions to the Centre and Delhi government to ascertain reasons behind designing of the single-lane “faulty flyover” at RTR and take appropriate action against those responsible for the same. They have also challenged the draft proposal of Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) recommending building of the three-lane flyover, saying the PSU “failed to adequately take into consideration future traffic growth and other relevant factors which have bearing on traffic growth”.
In their petition seeking interim stay on award of the tender for building the flyover, the residents of the area have contended that the 2013 draft proposal of RITES without offering a plan for replanting the 2000-odd trees cut for earlier project proposes to build the new flyover at the cost of 300 additional trees in the area.
It has also said “the designs proposed by RITES and sought to be executed by PWD of the parallel flyover are unilateral and not based on any consultations with other stakeholders i.e. Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, Delhi Police, Disaster Management Authority, Fire Brigade, Ministry of Defence”. It has also claimed the proposal to build the three-lane flyover has not taken into account the serious changes which would result in the traffic pattern of National Highway-8 and adjoining roads.
