Steel flyover: Karnataka govt to knock on Supreme Court door

BENGALURU: As the works relating to the controversial steel flyover is being taken up by BDA, whose jurisdiction doesn’t exceed Bengaluru city, the government's move to counter the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) order by stating that it does not have a say in a 'highway' project and no environment clearance is needed is bound to fail, according to experts.

They warn that it will be a blunder if the state takes this stand even as the petitioners are preparing to take the government head on. According to sources, the BDA is preparing to approach SC and convince the apex court that the steel flyover project was a highway expansion project and there was no need of an environmental impact assessment, as sought by the NGT.

Activists opposed to the project say that the government and BDA would even go to the extent of arm twisting the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) to get its permission.

When Deccan Chronicle contacted Leo Saldanha of Environment Support Group, he said, “Steel flyover is not a national highway project. It is an area development project and an environment impact assessment is very much needed, as large number of trees will have to be chopped. The project cannot budge without an environmental clearance.”

Prakash Belawadi founder-member of Citizens for Bengaluru (CfB) the group which is opposing the project said, “State Government has already got its approval for steel project from SEIAA. The authority had given its nod as project involving steel does not come under their purview.”

While the government is exploring all possible options to get the project going, it is also waiting for the issue to cool down, Belawadi said and added, “Once it cools down, it will be easy to get an environment impact assessment done in its favour by arm-twisting SEIAA, which had already given a nod earlier,” he added.