Sahibabad villages oppose new traffic plan for Kaushambi

Four villages in Sahibabad Site IV Industrial Area said they would oppose the Ghaziabad administration’s attempts to divert Delhi-Kaushambi traffic through their area

Four villages in Sahibabad Site IV Industrial Area said they would oppose the Ghaziabad administration’s attempts to divert Delhi-Kaushambi traffic through their area. Residents there say that the plan would further pollute the villages.

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The plan was drawn up in response to a Supreme Court (SC) directive last month on the plea of Kaushambi residents. The court had then ordered the formation of a nine-member committee whose nodal officer would be the Ghaziabad district magistrate (DM) Ajay Shankar Pandey. The committee had members from the district administration, district police and Delhi officials.

It proposed that the traffic, including UP Roadways buses, be diverted through Saur Urja Marg.

The four-laned Saur Urja Marg is about 7-8kms stretch and connects near Kaushambi ISBT to Vasundhara intersection and passes through Sahibabad Site IV Industrial Area, which the central pollution control board had identified as an air pollution hot spot.

But residents of four villages, Kadkad Model, Maharjpur, Sahibabad and Jhandapur, feel that the plan would affect them badly.

Sushil Raghav, a city-based environmentalist and resident of Kadkad Model, said, “The industrial area is already polluted, and diversion of buses and vehicles will further intensify the problem. It is just an attempt to give relief to Kaushambi at our expense. We have sent representation to UP chief secretary and other officers and we will move Supreme Court if traffic is diverted through our area.”

“The industrial area already has vehicles which remain parked on roads and if the plan is cleared, more vehicles will be diverted here and compound the issue. This will also increase risk of accidents for cyclists, children and daily commuters,” said Haji Arif, resident of Maharajpur one of the four villages .

The four villages together have a population of around 300,000 to 400,000.

“The latest plan including suggestions from UP and Delhi is only a draft and not a final plan,” said district magistrate Pandey. “Saur Urja Marg is proposed for diversion of buses. However, if residents have any issues, we will give them time and invite public objection for resolution of their issues.”

In the plan, the authorities have also proposed enforcement against illegal buses and autos, removal of encroachment, regulation of permits of autos and e-rickshaws besides diversions and other traffic infrastructure measures in order to decongest and abate polluted surroundings at Kaushambi. They have also proposed parking spaces and a multi-level parking at Kaushambi metro station.

The Supreme Court’s March 24 order was in response to Kaushambi residents welfare association (Karwa) that said the pollution in their area, which is close to two inter state bus terminals, had to be controlled.

VK Mittal, president of Karwa, said that he could not comment over the issue of Saur Urja Marg.

“If the residents of four villages have plan, they can move court with their issue. It is up to the court to decide their issue. Regarding the latest plan, we have issues and will submit our comments before the court,” he said.