HC seeks EIA report on Metro rail alignment

HC seeks EIA report on Metro rail alignment
Bangalore, Dec 9, DH News Service:

The division bench headed by Justice V Gopala Gowda on Wednesday directed the Registrar to place a copy of the Environment Impact Assessment study report on the Namma Metro before the Court.


Hearing a petition related to Metro Rail alignment in front of Vidhana Soudha, the division bench comprising of Justice V Gowda and Justice B V Nagarathna adjourned the matter after the Counsel for the petitioners sought time.

In its petition, the Department of Horticulture had stated that the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) requires 11,160.86 sqm area temporarily and 2,126.71 sqm area permanently for housing the Vidhana Soudha underground station and ancillary buildings.

Tree felling

The department also sought permission for felling 116 trees, 22 for traffic diversion through alternative roads, 65 for the station and 29 for ancillary buildings. Eleven trees would be pruned. “The Cubbon Park area is 260 acres. The actual area required (permanently)for BMRCL is 800 meters, which is just 0.5 per cent of the total park area and the remaining greenery will be restored,” the Department of Horticulture submitted.

The submission was made after BMRCL sought its permission for alignment through a letter dated August 26, 2009.

But M G Kumar, counsel for petitioner Bimal Desai and others had opposed the move on the ground that it would harm the buildings in the area.

“They are seeking 200 sqft area in front of High court. Hundreds of tress will be cut. The Environment Impact Assessment committee headed by B N Yellappa Reddy had already warned that an underground Metro would harm the Vidhana Soudha and High Court and the KGID buildings which are historical monuments and cannot withstand the vibrations of the underground Metro,” he said, before seeking time to file objections.