HC order flouted on road: ESG

HC order flouted on road: ESG
BENGALURU







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Both widening of the city’s roads and the Metro Rail project are being carried out in violation of the high court’s orders, an NGO, Environment Support Group (ESG) , claimed on Monday.

Leo Saldanha, coordinator of ESG, said the high court had ordered the formation of an Empowered Committee under the chairmanship of noted environmentalist A.N. Yellappa Reddy to review road widening and related transport projects in Bengaluru. Its order was based on a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by ESG, he said.

“The committee was directed to consult the public before implementing any project and ensure that the objectives of sustainable development were kept in mind,” Mr Saldanha added.

But despite the proactive efforts of various groups and affected communities, the committee had not paid any attention to them. It had also denied the ESG and members of the public the right to participate in and observe its proceedings, he alleged.

The matter was taken to the Lok Adalat which had now ordered that all work being carried out in the city should have the prior sanction of the committee.

The Lok Adalat comprising Justice K L Manjunath, chairman of the Karnataka Legal Aid Services Authority and Dr. H. C. Sharatchandra, member and chairman of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board had also directed the committee to hear all pending applications filed before it, Mr Saldanha said. Some had in their applications to the committee suggested alternatives to road widening as it was resulting in displacement of homes and business establishments.

Others had expressed apprehension that projects in the city were eating into public spaces and inconveniencing pedestrians, senior citizens and the differently abled. “It has been suggested that authorities take the Metro project underground so as to not inconvenience the public,” he added.