Delhi HC pulls up PWD over traffic mess near RTR flyover

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has pulled up the Public Works Department (PWD) over the traffic mess on a single-lane flyover at Rao Tula Ram (RTR) Marg in the city and sought a status report by May 13 on the progress in road widening work near it.

"Why you always stall on your projects for so long? You will have to seek instruction on this aspect and inform us within two weeks about the steps you have taken in regard to the smooth flow of the traffic," a bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw said.

The court's observation came while hearing a PIL seeking direction to the PWD to complete the road widening work immediately near RTR flyover on Outer Ring Road.

Besides PWD, the court also asked the Delhi government, Department Of Forest and Wildlife and Delhi Traffic Police to get instruction whether permission to fell trees has been received so that the widening project can be finished and traffic disruption brought under control.

"All the respondents are directed to file their status report before May 13," the court said.

The petitioner Vishal Raj Sehijpal also sought direction to remove poles, boards, bus stop and trees from the road for safe, easy and free flow of traffic coming from National Highway (NH)-8 towards RTR T-point.

It said that the Department Of Forest and Wildlife should accord permission to remove the trees on the said road which are on the widened lane.

The plea also said that the project should be completed under the supervision of the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF) and the Delhi government.

The petitioner alleged that "PWD had constructed a single carriage flyover at RTR T-point which now is being used by the traffic on both the carriage way and the vehicular movement on the said road is such that there is congestion on both the sides of the flyover".

"... In this regard necessary direction were also issued for construction of parallel flyover on the same road to ease the traffic congestion which not only adversely affects the environment but is also very time consuming and inconvenient to the general public at large," the plea said.