BENGALURU: In the light of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) giving the green signal to the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to go ahead with preliminary work in connection with the steel flyover project while extending the stay on it, the BDA has approached the City Traffic Police for assistance in traffic management. Work is slated to begin on Friday or Saturday.
The BDA’s Engineering Cell has written to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) and DCP (North) seeking permission to go ahead with these works and sought their support in managing the traffic when preliminary work is carried out.
The 6.7km steel bridge from Basaveshwara Circle to Hebbal ran into many controversies and has faced stiff opposition from experts and civic activists. The six-lane flyover project from Chalukya Circle to Hebbal via Mekhri Circle was first stayed by the Southern Bench of the Tribunal on October 28 for four weeks. On December 20, the bench extended the stay till January 18, 2017, but has given the BDA permission to carry out soil testing and survey work (assessment of the strength of the soil). Larsen & Toubro Ltd has been contracted with executing the `1,761-crore project.
BDA Engineer-member P N Nayak told Express, “We are likely to begin work in connection with the bridge tomorrow (Friday). A letter has been sent to the traffic department seeking their consent in this connection.”
Such requests are generally okayed by the police at short notice, he said.
BDA Infrastructure Engineer R Vijaykumar said, “We will be checking the soil and conducting the survey at three points initially — Hebbal bus stop, Sanjay Nagar bus stop and Mekhri Circle. After that, we will go ahead with checking more spots.”
Citizens Action Forum president N S Mukunda and former state additional chief secretary Balasubramanian had filed a petition against the project due to the environmental impact of the project which would result in the axing of about 800 trees. Top traffic cops were busy with the President’s impending visit and said they would respond later.