SC: Divert traffic via green land for metro work

NEW DELHI: The Central Empowered Committee (CEC) of the Supreme Court recommended the use of 1.23 hectare in the forest and morphological ridge for the temporary diversion of traffic through two routes to facilitate the construction of Neb Sarai metro station.

This station is being constructed for the new corridor from Aerocity to Tughlaqabad, known as Golden Line. The morphological ridge has ridge-like features and is given the same protection as the notified area. After CEC's nod, the project needs the final approval from the Supreme Court. Ridge Management Board approved the project in April.

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said that due to the non-availability of wider alternate roads in the area, vehicular traffic and construction vehicles would have to pass through the construction zone of the proposed underground Neb Sarai metro station on Ignou main road. Due to the higher depth of the station - around 40m - huge machinery was mobilised at the construction site, leaving negligible space for the movement of traffic, it added.

"To reduce the delay in the construction of the project, DMRC sought permission for the temporary diversion of traffic through two alternate routes involving Ridge Reserve Forest and Morphological Ridge Area to ease the traffic situation," said CEC.

During a site visit in Sept, CEC travelled on both routes on foot. For the proposed route one, the committee suggested a shorter loop to reduce the requirement of forest land.

CEC, in its report dated Nov 6, recommended the proposal of DMRC to the apex court, considering that the "project is in public interest and the land being used for construction of the temporary routes is bare minimum required". It also noted that the proposal was site-specific and the work of this metro station couldn't be completed without appropriate diversion of traffic.

The committee asked DMRC to take necessary measures to prevent encroachment of ridge areas. CEC also directed DMRC to ensure that no tree is damaged or felled and return the ridge land in its original form after the construction.

In the first route, the traffic coming from Ignou and moving towards Mehrauli-Badarpur Road or Saket metro, which is one-way traffic, will bypass the proposed Neb Sarai station by entering Freedom Fighter Enclave Gate no. 3 and connect with Westend Marg on the other side after passing through Delhi Tourism Area near Garden of Five Senses.

The second route will bypass the proposed station by entering Freedom Fighter Enclave Gate no. 3 and pass through an open plot that is khasra numbers 96 and 97 near Subhash Chandra Bose Statue Park and further passing through Saidulajab Park, which will merge with the existing traffic at Westend Marg and meet Mehrauli-Badarpur Road.

Two routes have been proposed as a backup in case of any emergency situations on one of them, such as the breakdown of a vehicle, movement of an ambulance, etc.