The Delhi High Court has asked authorities to decongest the Mehrauli-Mahipalpur road to the airport
Massive traffic congestion on the Mehrauli-Mahipalpur Road, one of the routes to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, has caught the attention of the Delhi High Court which has asked authorities to chalk out a plan to decongest the area so that passengers do not miss their flights. To smoothen the capital's most stressful stretch, the Delhi Development Authority has proposed construction of a bypass at Mehrauli-Mahipalpur road where on an average the traffic volume is between 20,000 and 30,000 vehicles daily on both sides.
Taking note of the number of vehicles plying on both sides of the road, a bench of S Ravindra Bhat and Yogesh Khanna said that the Delhi Government, the DDA, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), the Airport Authority of India (AAI) and the Public Works Department (PWD) have to decide the time frame within which the proposals have to be executed.
The high court directed the authorities to hold a meeting and prepare a plan for decongesting the road taken by commuters for going to Gurgaon, the Indira Gandhi International Airport and Palam domestic airport.
The court noted that the affidavits filed by the various agencies indicate that Unified Traffic and Transportation Infrastructure (Planning and Engineering) Centre (UTTIPEC) has approved in principle the proposal for construction of an under pass and by-pass road.
"Having regard to the density of the built up structure and the population as well as the congestion of the vehicular traffic leading to the airport, the Delhi Traffic Police and other local authorities would have also to consider the convenience of the local public at the stage of construction of the by-pass if undertaken," the bench said.
The court passed the directions while disposing of a petition by the residents welfare associations of Vasant Vihar challenging PWD's decision to build a three-lane flyover parallel to the single-lane flyover on RTR Marg.
The associations have sought that a six-lane flyover be built in the same location by demolishing the existing one, while PWD intends to build a three-lane elevated road from Munirka to Signals Enclave, which will also run parallel to the RTR Marg flyover.
The bench said the project director of Gurgaon, NHAI; DDA Vice-chairman; concerned head of departments of PWD or Engineer-in-chief; and the Commissioner of Delhi Traffic Police shall hold a joint meeting for this purpose within next four weeks.
The meeting shall be convened by the Vice-Chairman, DDA, who shall record their decisions.
It said after taking the decision, the Delhi government shall communicate it to the petitioner independently and clarified that the agencies, which would decide the matter, would take into consideration all relevant material substances for achieving the goals indicated in the RITES report.
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