Comprehensive traffic management plan readied for UP’s Kaushambi

In March, the Supreme Court directed a traffic management plan be prepared and also directed a committee of officers from UP and Delhi be constituted for the purpose. The court also directed that the district magistrate of Ghaziabad be the nodal officer of the committee

A committee of officials, comprising officers from Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, has readied a comprehensive traffic management plan for Kaushambi township and begun its implementation. The Supreme Court had directed authorities to prepare one after Kaushambi Apartment Residents’ Welfare Association(Karwa) moved a petition in the top court highlighting the polluted surroundings.

High-rises in Kaushambi are located next to a heavy traffic area, adjacent to Delhi’s Anand Vihar border, which has an ISBT. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

The top court, in March, directed a traffic management plan be prepared and also directed a committee of officers from UP and Delhi be constituted for the purpose. The court also directed that the district magistrate of Ghaziabad be the nodal officer of the committee.

“We have finalised the traffic management plan and measures are being taken up in the short term and long term in a phased manner. other issues regarding Kaushambi are also being taken up. Agencies such as the Ghaziabad municipal corporation, traffic police, and others from Delhi will work on implementing the plan,” said RK Singh, district magistrate of Ghaziabad.

High-rises in Kaushambi, populated by about 20,000 residents, are located next to a heavy traffic area, adjacent to Delhi’s Anand Vihar border which has an ISBT. There is a landfill site at Ghazipur, the Sahibabad industrial area, and an ISBT at Kaushambi in Ghaziabad in the vicinity.

Under the plan, the joint committee proposed new U-turns on Dr Burman Marg; two parking lots for autorickshaws--one near the left turn towards the Delhi border and the other at Saur Urja Marg near gate number 1 of Kaushmabi ISBT. The committee also proposed colour-coding of autos and permits on the basis of routes; entry of UP State Road Transport Corporation buses from Saur Urja Marg and their exit from another gate near Pacific Mall, besides development of a multi-level parking lot at Kaushambi Metro station and another multi-level parking lot for vehicles, which remain parked on the roadside in Kaushambi’s commercial area.

“We have given our consent for the plan, and it will pave the way for decongesting Kaushambi and nearby Delhi-Ghaziabad border as well. In our petition, we raised issues about pollution, and the court, while hearing our petition, took up the issue of traffic. So, the plan was chalked out,” said VK Mittal, president of Karwa.

The association filed several petitions with the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in October 2015, September 2018, and March 2019, and finally moved Supreme Court in October 2020, and appealed against the polluted surroundings.

The plan also stated that removal of encroachments and regulation of traffic will also be taken up by respective departments.

“The plan has short-term and long-term measures and we have also discussed the plan with the petitioners. It was formulated after a joint inspection by officers of different departments from UP and Delhi. We have already started the work related to the creation of parking, vending zones, and the installation of height barriers,” said MS Tanwar, commissioner, Ghaziabad municipal corporation.