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In a setback to the state government, the National Green Tribunal refused to vacate the stay on the contentious steel flyover from Basaveshwara Circle to Hebbal.

Declining to entertain the state government and Bengaluru Development Authority’s (BDA) request to quash the petition filed by Citizens Action Forum (CAF) and by retired IAS officer V Balasubramaniam, the South Zone bench of the tribunal in Chennai extended the stay till December 6.

On October 28, the NGT had given a four-week injunction and had posted the hearing for November 25.

“The injunction continues till the next date of hearing. The matter has been adjourned. This is a good time for us to file our objections,” said Balasubramaniam.

He said the proceedings concluded within minutes as there were no arguments.

Advocate General Madhusudhan R Naik, representing the respondents in the NGT, placed before the tribunal their application seeking vacation of the stay order. He also explained to the judges the stand of the state government and BDA that the proposed steel flyover did not need any environmental clearance and the project would have no environmental impact.

The petitioners, in their response, sought time to file a counter-affidavit and the matter was posted to another date.
 
CAF founder-president N S Mukund said the forum had sought time to counter the state’s affidavit.

The petitioners had contended that a steel flyover was not necessary as alternative routes to the airport were available. They also argued that the government had not followed due procedure before finalising the project. Most importantly, environmental clearance had not been obtained for the project, the petitioners had pointed out.

Members of Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB), another group opposing the flyover, said they were happy with the NGT stay. “As expected, the state government and BDA have failed to obtain environmental clearance in the last four weeks. This is sad but not surprising, given that the project has a massive negative environmental impact and the government is aware that it will not be able to obtain clearance through due process,” said CfB’s Srinivas Alavilli.

Namma Bengaluru Foundation also expressed its happiness over the NGT order. “However, despite the NGT’s intervention, it is appalling to see the government’s audacious resolve to continue with this ad hoc, unplanned infrastructural project,” said an official press release.