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Begum Bazar-Bhagwatpur Road ROB: After 5 years of wait a finished bridge may appear
This follows a possible breakthrough between the district administration and the officials of the Indian Air Force at a meeting
The railway over bridge (ROB) being constructed on the Begum Bazar-Bhagwatpur Road may yet see the light of day.
This follows a possible breakthrough between the district administration and the officials of the Indian Air Force (IAF) at a meeting.
The Union ministry of defence has finally given a no-objection certificate regarding the work on the ROB, albeit with riders.
A detailed action plan will now be prepared after conducting a survey, following which the construction agency will be able to move ahead with the work of completing the ROB.
In the survey that will be done it will be ascertained whether the present airstrip of the IAF can function, or whether it will need to be shifted, and if so, then where.
Work has been lying unfinished since 2018, said district administration officials.
Begum Bazar ROB was proposed before Kumbh-2019 to connect Kaushambi and Prayagraj through GT Road ahead of Bamrauli. Officers of the Setu Nigam started the construction of ROB, but in 2018, when the ROB was nearly 90% ready, IAF officials had stopped the work.
Air Force authorities at the time had clarified that their objection to the railway over bridge was twofold. Firstly, it will put the lives of passengers at risk as it violates laid down obstruction criteria for airfields. Secondly, it will also compromise national security as the useful runway length will be reduced and most fighter aircraft will not be able to use this airfield, the IAF had pointed out at the time.
The IAF officials had maintained that this was due to the ROB being constructed on the aircraft approach path, 500 metres from Bamrauli runway. “Because of its height it is a dangerous obstruction for the aircraft landing or taking off. This will also defeat the purpose of developing the Civil Air Terminal at Prayagraj as it imposes severe operational restrictions,” the IAF had pointed out in a communique in 2018.
The IAF had also pointed out that as per Gazette of India (GSR 751) and Indian Aircraft Act 1934, no objection certificate from the Indian Air Force / AAI was mandatory before undertaking any work in the vicinity of an airfield for ensuring necessary aviation safety.
The construction of Bhagwatpur ROB was being undertaken without obtaining NOC from IAF and this is despite the objections by the Indian Air Force in the past, they had claimed.
Officials claimed that the Union ministry of defence has given the NOC recently, but one which necessitates certain conditions that need to be fulfilled.
Commenting on the issue, Sanjay Kumar Khatri, district magistrate, Prayagraj, said, “A meeting was held with senior officials of the IAF regarding the Begum Bazar ROB. The meeting has been fruitful, and some positive results are expected in the coming days”.
According to district administration officials, some houses near Begum Bazar ROB are a block in the project. Due to this, there will be a brainstorming on whether the airstrip can be saved or needs to be relocated. A strategy will be prepared on whether view cutters should be installed on the built ROB or whether land should be acquired for it, they said.
To relocate the runway, 300 square yards of land will need to be acquired. In the survey that will be done, the actual land requirement will be measured.
It is also learnt that the district administration could pay an amount of around ₹128 crore to the IAF for relocating the airstrip. Arrangements have already been made for this in the supplementary budget of Mahakumbh-2025.
Earlier, in the absence of the NOC, the payment was pending. However, now that the NOC has been received, it is believed that payment will also be made soon.
