From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Dec 21: The National Green Tribunal’s Southern Bench has stayed the construction work on the controversial steel flyover project till the next hearing on January 18.

The NGT at its hearing on Tuesday, considered the appeal by Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) for vacating the stay but refused to vacate the stay.

However, the BDA will be free to undertake works like soil sampling and investigation and surveys.
But no construction works as the interim order of stay is extended till the next hearing.

The Citizen Action Forum petitioned against BDA for cutting 812 trees to make way for the flyover without holding public consultation and also the latter failed to furnish environment impact assessment approved by the state level environment authority.

However, it came to light that BDA did not even seek permissions from the green authorities to cut the trees for the project, when Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrashekar questioned this in the winter session of parliament.

The Rs 2100 crore project is going to be implemented by BDA to decongest Ballari road leading to Kempegowda International Airport.

The detailed project report shows the flyover starts from near Maharani's college on Palace road till the expressway near Kempapura junction beyond Hebbal interchange.

It received flak from citizens and green activists for not just axing trees but was also termed as an unsustainable solution to reduce traffic woes.

BDA claims that the project is a part of extension of the national highway (NH-7) and hence it is exempted from submitting environment impact assessment.