Bengaluru: The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has posted the final hearing on the controversial steel flyover case for January 30. The state government has proposed to construct a steel flyover between Basaveshwara Circle and Hebbal at a cost of Rs. 1,791 crore has come under fire from almost all sections of society.
The Karnataka State Environment Impact Assessment Authority filed its reply taking the same stance as the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
While filing the case, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) had claimed that the project did not require environmental clearance. However, the applicants stated, “The BDA is not correct in stating that this project is exempt under the amendment to the EIA notification, 2006, dated 22 August 2013.”
The counsel for the Karnataka government and the BDA argued that the delay owing to the current stay had severe financial implications to the project.
The bench has asked the parties to file their replies in writing before January 30.
Meanwhile, Citizens for Bengaluru, the newly formed citizens’ collective to fight the proposed steel flyover project, on Wednesday impleaded before the bench, along with Citizen’s Action Forum (CAF), the original petitioners in the case. The bench accepted their petition.
In a statement, CfB said they would study the responses filed by SEIAA and BDA on Wednesday, arguing that the project was exempted from environment clearances, and file their response by January 30. “We continue to appeal to the State government and the BDA to accept the popular opinion and scrap the project,” the statement stated.
