NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday sought response from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on a petition by two housing societies and individual residents, seeking a stay on construction activities of the Dwarka Expressway flyover.
A bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah issued a notice to NHAI seeking their response by Friday after being told that construction activity is going on day and night without obtaining mandatory clearances.
The residents have sought restraint on NHAI from going ahead with the construction in the interregnum. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for the petitioners, said that NHAI is building an already constructed small road which passes through densely-populated colonies having six schools on its periphery.
“They did not hold any public consultation, nor have any environmental clearances and they are felling trees even after the permission granted to do so lapsed,” said Bhushan. The High Court had allowed construction to go on, saying it was not a new road, hence no new clearances ware required, he added.
Bhushan said that the NHAI is continuing with the work day and night and by the time the court will hear the plea, irreversible damage will be done. On this, the bench said that it will examine the issue and posted the matter for further hearing. The plea filed by advocate Anand Varma said that the high court was not correct in accepting the NHAI’s “baseless contention”.