Why did you make single-lane RTR flyover? HC asks Delhi government

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has questioned the Public Works Department's (PWD) decision to construct a single-lane flyover on Rao Tula Ram (RTR) marg on the Outer Ring Road here in 2009 (rpt in 2009) saying "we all have been victims of that road".

"Why did you make it? It always gets choked with traffic. We have spent hours on the road on our way to the airport. We have all been victims," a bench of justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul said. The court's observation came while hearing a plea by 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 court has listed the matter for further hearing in two weeks when PWD will have to "indicate status of the tender invited by it and also bring all the documents in support of the flyover sought to be constructed". The associations have sought quashing of the notification by PWD inviting tenders for constructing the proposed three-lane flyover as well as directions to the 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 seeks 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 a three-lane flyover, saying the PSU "failed to adequately take into consideration future traffic growth and other relevant factors which have a bearing on traffic growth."

PWD has submitted before the court that it has now no other option but to build a three-lane flyover. 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.

"The proposals as given by RITES do not offer any solutions for replanting the 2000-odd trees which were cut for the previous corridor improvement project nor does it provide for rainwater harvesting. "Instead, new roads and metro feeder bus parking zones have been proposed on green belts and zones coming under the ridge area, which would lead to severe curtailment of natural replenishment of ground water. It is submitted that in the preparation of the proposed parallel flyover, 300 trees are to be felled," the petition has said.

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.