9 heritage monuments fall on the route of the corridor; ASI had withdrawn permission to carry out construction
The chaos on the road to Kalupur railway station will continue to haunt people much longer, as the Ahmedabad Janmarg Limited (AJL)'s Rs150 crore project to build a four-km 'bus-only corridor' to decongest traffic snarls outside the station has been trapped in controversy after a recent notice by the Archeological Survey of India withdrawing permission to carry out construction within 100 metres of a heritage monument.
This means, after the ASI notice, the work on the 'bus-only elevated corridor' as a part of Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) project, hangs in balance as the four-kms area from Prem Darwaja to New Clothe market via Kalupur railway station covers around nine heritage monuments including the shaking minarets. The AJL officials say, they have begun procedures to get the required permission from the ASI.
The ASI had issued a notice to the AMC after the Delhi High Court's ruling that ASI does not have power to permit construction within 100 metres of heritage monuments.
"We had made a presentation to the ASI in December to seek some solution to start work on the 'bus-only elevated corridor' as the feasibility study has been completed. But we have not received any clarification as to whether we will be granted permission," said a source, adding that they have come up with a formula to float tenders to finalise the contractor by the time the ASI issues permission for the construction again after required procedures in higher court.
However, RR Varsani, mission chief JNNURM projects in the AMC, says, "the work on the project will not start until they get required permission from the ASI." The AJL officials who were preparing to float tenders at the time they received ASI notice feel even if they receive permission the project will miss its target to complete work by 2012.
The elevated corridor was planned to carry only city buses — Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) and Ahmedabad Municipal Transport Service (AMTS) so that the road below can be kept for other vehicular movement. To avoid any collision of AMTS and BRTS buses, the AJL has planned 'overtaking lanes' in the elevated corridor. Around one lakh passengers visit the railway station daily and around 3,000 bus trips are made in the area. If the AJL wants to decongest the road, it has to shift city bus services to an elevated corridor.
To connect elevated corridor to the Kalupur railway station, the AJL plans to build foot overbridges at three places around Kalupur railway station. There will be elevators to help commuters reach the elevated corridor. The bus stations for city buses — BRTS and AMTS — will be on elevated corridor and around the connectivity points to take foot overbridge.
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