File Photo: Delhi High Court
The Delhi High Court has taken strong exception to the city government, traffic police and DDA not complying with its order on decongesting traffic on the busy single-lane flyover at Rao Tula Ram Marg connecting the airport, saying money is "going down the drain".
"You (government and other authorities) had to comply with our order and directions, but you have not done so," a bench of justices BD Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva said.
"It is money going down the drain, let me tell you this," Justice Sachdeva also remarked with respect to work the Public Works Department (PWD) claimed to have done to decongest traffic.
PWD in response said it had already showed the bench, by way of presentation and maps, the measures it intends to take, like removing encroachments from the alternative roads and preventing parking on them, to decongest traffic.
It said that subsequent to it apprising the court about these measures, PWD was allowed to go on with its project of building a three-lane flyover from Munirka till Army Research and Referral Hospital on the Outer Ring Road, parallel to the existing Rao Tula Ram flyover.
The residents of Vasant Vihar, who have filed an application alleging "abject failure" on the part of PWD to comply with court directions, contended that encroachments are still present on the Nelson Mandela Marg junction as well as DDA bypass road.
They have sought that till PWD and other authorities ensure that traffic is de-congested, they be not allowed to go ahead with their flyover project.
The bench, however, remarked that no useful discussion could be had without having a map of the area and listed the matter for further hearing on September 9.
It also issued notice to the city government and other authorities and asked them to file status reports in response to the contentions made in a fresh application moved by residents of Vasant Vihar.
In their application, the Vasant Vihar residents have alleged that the authorities have failed to comply with the court's October 28, 2014 directions to decongest traffic in the area.
The court had said that "alternative measures discussed for decongesting traffic to and from the airport, particularly, at the T-junction joining Nelson Mandela Marg and the Outer Ring Road as also the entry point after Ryan International School from Mehrauli Mahipalpur Road to the DDA road, shall be made operational within two weeks".
It had said the authorities shall make an endeavour to make operational every route they intend to use during diversion of traffic while building the flyover.
The application was filed by residents of Vasant Vihar in their main plea challenging PWD's decision to build a three-lane flyover parallel to the single-lane flyover at Rao Tula Ram Marg.
Vasant Vihar residents associations, in their main plea, have sought that a six-lane flyover be built in the same location by demolishing the existing one at Rao Tula Ram Marg.