CHENNAI: The Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA) has convinced Vandalur Zoo to give up 467 sq.m of non-reserve forest land for road widening. The move is expected to help ease traffic congestion on GST road, which has increased exponentially after bus operations were shifted to the terminus at Kilambakkam recently.
CMDA is also reportedly putting pressure on the forest department and Vandalur Zoo authorities to divert a piece of reserve forest adjacent to Crescent Engineering College to build an additional entry point connecting Kilambakkam bus terminus with Vandalur-Kelambakkam road.
“A portion of area measuring 467 sq.m at the entrance of the Vandalur Zoo and the zoo parking area that is non-RF revenue land under its possession will be handed over to CMDA. A toilet at the Vandalur Zoo road corner will be demolished to widen GST-Vandalur-Kelambakkam road and smoothen the traffic at the curve,” a senior government official said.
Currently, vehicles coming from Chennai have to take a sharp left near Vandalur Zoo to reach OMR via Kelambakkam. “There was a request to smoothen the curve even before the Kilambakkam bus terminus project was conceived. After south-bound bus operations were completely shifted here, the problem has aggravated. The zoo officials have asked CMDA to take-up a land survey and submit a formal proposal seeking consent. In-principle, it was agreed to handover the identified land,” zoo sources said.
Regarding diversion of reserve forest area, sources said a high-level meeting headed by the chief secretary was held recently to discuss the traffic woes connected to Kilambakkam bus terminus.
“CMDA has come-up with a concept plan to build an 8m wide and 350m long bridge or road connecting the backside of the bus terminus and Kelambakkam road. Since it’s a reserve forest area, the project plan needs to be uploaded on the Parivesh website of the Union Environment Ministry seeking forest clearance. The state forest department has not taken a decision yet,” sources said.
Chief Minister MK Stalin inaugurated the Kilambakkam bus terminus, which has a capacity to operate more than 2,350 long-distance buses, on December 30.