By IANS
New Delhi : The central government Tuesday urged the Delhi High Court not to accede to south Delhi residents’ demand for a change in Delhi Metro’s plan to construct an elevated corridor through the area.
In its affidavit before the court, the government has directed the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to take all safeguards to address the concerns of the residents of Jangpura, Kailash Colony, Defence Colony, Lajpat Nagar and Greater Kailash regarding privacy, vibration, noise and aesthetics through various measures.
A bench headed by Justice T.S. Thakur, hearing a petition of the RWAs, asked the urban development ministry to file an affidavit informing it of the stand adopted by a Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted on the issue.
The court will pass an order, if any, on Feb 8, the next date of hearing.
Earlier, the court asked authorities to state the reasons for constructing the elevated track, whereas the practice the world over has been to construct the metro underground.
Residents of several south Delhi colonies petitioned the high court seeking a direction to the DMRC to take the underground route for its proposed corridor between Jangpura and Badarpur.
The Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) of Greater Kailash, Defence Colony, Lajpat Nagar, Kailash Colony and other localities through which the metro line would pass are concerned that an elevated corridor would adversely impact their neighbourhood, while residents from Jangpura and Kalkaji said the elevated track would threaten the green cover in their areas, besides adding to the noise pollution.