The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal has refused to vacate the interim injunction ordered in the steel flyover case in Bengaluru.
The Bangalore Development Authority had filed a Miscellaneous Application with the Tribunal for removing the stay. The bench comprising Justice M.S. Nambiar and expert member P.S. Rao wanted to know why the BDA was in such a hurry to get the stay vacated.
Counsel for the BDA said the agency was unable to carry out even preliminary works like soil testing and taking measurements. The bench said it had not stayed such activities even in the interim order. It adjourned the case to January18.
Effectively, the bench has allowed the BDA to carry out basic and preliminary activities for the project. However, there is no modification in the original interim injunction. This was only a clarification given to BDA officials since they had raised the issue, sources said.
The Rs .1,761 crore proposal to build a steel flyover from the Basaveshwara circle to Hebbal has come under severe criticism from various sections in Karnataka, including retired bureaucrats.
The project involves cutting about 812 trees on the proposed route. Nearly 55,000 tonnes of steel is required to construct the flyover.
