Barapullah flyover phase 3 project: Got nod to fell trees, work will start soon, says PWD

Indian Express

6 hours ago

The last hurdle in the way of completion of the long-delayed Barapullah Phase 3 flyover has now been cleared with the Public Works Department (PWD) receiving permission from the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to fell 250 trees that are required for the project to progress, officials said on Wednesday.
'We have received in-principle approval for felling of trees from the CEC,' said a senior PWD official.
'As the CEC has given permission to fell trees, work on the ground will start soon. The trees are located near the Humayun's Tomb stretch and near Mayur Vihar,' the official added.
The CEC is a five-member committee formulated by the Supreme Court to monitor afforestation and tree-cutting permissions in big projects.
The project will be completed within six months after the permission to fell the trees is granted, PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh had earlier said. Singh has also said that the government plans to operationalise the project by December.
The Barapullah Phase 3 project – a 3.5-km elevated corridor – envisages seamless connectivity between Mayur Vihar I in East Delhi and AIIMS in South Delhi.
The new flyover, which will merge with the existing Barapullah flyover at Sarai Kale Khan, is also expected to significantly enhance east-west connectivity.
Once operational, the flyover is likely to ease traffic congestion at key choke points, such as Nizamuddin Bridge, Bhairon Marg, Ashram Chowk, and Ring Road.
The Phase 3 project was approved in 2014 and launched in April 2015 with a target to complete work in 2017. The initial cost of the flyover was Rs 964 crore, but the sanctioned cost significantly increased over the years.
The project was delayed due to a range of issues — delays in land acquisition, the Covid-19 pandemic, seasonal floods, and pending forest department approval for the relocation of over 250 trees.
Devansh Mittal is a trainee correspondent with The Indian Express. He studied political science at Ashoka University. He can be reached at [e-mail]. ... Read More