After public pressure, K’taka scraps controversial flyover
BENGALURU: The Karnataka government on Thursday announced that it had decided to abandon the controversial steel flyover project in the city in the face of stiff opposition from citizens.
“The steel flyover will not be constructed as the project has been cancelled,” Bengaluru development minister KJ George told reporters.
The Chennai bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on October 28, 2016, stayed the 6.9km project from Chalukya Circle in the city centre to Hebbal junction in the northern suburb, which was to ease traffic flowing towards the international airport. It was estimated to cost ₹1,761 crore and L&T was to execute it.
The project faced stiff opposition from civil society groups, citizens and experts as it would have resulted in the felling of about 800 trees.
The former additional chief secretary of the state, V Balasubramanian, who was one of the petitioners before the tribunal against the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA), said the government will now have to file an affidavit before the NGT, stating that it was withdrawing from the project as the matter was reserved for judgment.
Speaking to HT, Balasubramanian said, “Environmentally, it would have been a disaster if the government had gone ahead with the project.” He said alternative routes had not been considered and no permission was taken to cut 800 trees.
“These are meaningless projects,” Balasubramanian said. “The real solution would be to increase public transport and curb the number of new private vehicles that are registered.”
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party’s state unit chief, BS Yeddyurappa, said the decision was taken as the Congress was facing heat after contents of a letter it made public purportedly alleged that the government had received kickbacks while sanctioning the project.
“It is because the Congress felt the allegations we had made would be proved that the government has scrapped the project,” he said. However, George rubbished this, saying the decision was taken as a result of the public’s protests .
Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrashekhar welcomed the decision, saying the project was “characterised by unseeming hurry, no public consultation, no environment impact assessment, inflated costs and finally an alleged diary with kickback entries”.
“This is a big victory for citizen power — the core essence of our democracy and urban governance,” Chandrashekhar said, adding it was also a victory of the due process of law.