Elevated road corridor in NCR gets clearance

In a bid to kick start the construction work on the 10.3km long road corridor, the UP State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has finally given environmental clearance for the UP Gate-Rajnagar Extension elevated road stretch in Ghaziabad district in NCR. This paves way for opening up of the project, which was lying in limbo for quite some time, said official sources, elaborating that the foundation stone for the mega project will be laid by the state chief minister very shortly. It may be recalled that the project had hit a road block when city-based environmentalist filed a case in NGT in 2015 alleging that a portion of the 10.3 km road is being built on a land classified as Hindon bird sanctuary, and at least three of its pillars are passing through land marked as lake in revenue records, which resulted in the staying the work by the court. Though the NGT lifted the stay in January this year, it directed the GDA to seek environmental clearance from Union ministry of environment, forests and climate change (MoEF), which in turn directed GDA to seek clearance from SEIAA, he insisted.