The Public Works Department on Monday got a big relief from the National Green Tribunal (NGT) as it vacated the interim stay imposed by it on the construction of phase III of Barapullah elevated corridor for want of environmental clearance (EC).
A bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar vacated the stay imposed by the Tribunal on October 26 on the construction of the bridge, which will connect Sarai Kale Khan and Mayur Vihar.
It, however, expressly stated that “all constructions made shall be subject to final decision of this application.”
The NGT had stayed the work on phase III on a petition moved by environmental activist Manoj Misra contending the PWD had not sought EC for the project coming over Yamuna.
On November 4, PWD had moved NGT seeking vacation of stay while claiming that the bridge is state of art with minimum damage to the flow of river Yamuna and its intention is to improve the environment by reducing carbon emission from vehicles.
“According to the Learned Counsel appearing for the respondents (PWD Delhi govt, etc), the project is a state of art project and is intended to serve a larger public purpose of decongestion of traffic in Delhi.
He further states that the linking road by the other States like UP has already been completed and the bridge construction is in progress,” the NGT noted.
The Tribunal also relied on the argument of the PWD that “the river bank is being used only for temporary purpose as a support to construction of the bridge and the same will be removed once the bridge is completed and the work will be done in non- monsoon season.”
“Having heard the Learned Counsel appearing for the parties and keeping the Doctrine of Sustainable Development we vacate the interim order passed by the Tribunal on 26th October, 2015.
However, all constructions made shall be subject to final decision of this application,” the bench said on Monday.
While Phase I and II of the elevated corridor are complete, work on phase III is in progress which would be followed by phase IV.
The project is of a magnitude of Rs.1260.63 crores, which PWD claims is for improvement of public transport and would lead to huge saving in carbon credits, man hours and fuel as there is perpetually a jam on the bridges across Yamuna
On November 4, PWD had moved NGT seeking vacation of stay while claiming that the bridge is state of art with minimum damage to the flow of Yamuna and its intention is to improve the environment
