Punjab Identifies New Land for Metro Depot, High Court Pushes for Ring Road to Ease Chandigarh Traffic
The Punjab government informed the court that they have identified a piece of land near Paroul village in New Chandigarh, opposite the previously offered site for the Metro depot. The Punjab and Haryana High Court highlighted the need for a ring road to alleviate traffic congestion in Chandigarh and nearby towns. The court requested reports from Haryana and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) regarding this proposal.
The court responded to Punjab's suggestion of a greenfield project starting from Tepla in Rajpura, touching Banur, and extending to Kurali, which will connect to the Kurali-Chandigarh road currently under construction. This road will further extend into Himachal Pradesh, connecting to the Baddi-Nalagarh area. The bench, comprising acting Chief Justice GS Sandhawalia and Justice Lapita Banerji, emphasized that the ring road would effectively reduce congestion in Chandigarh and requested NHAI to submit an affidavit regarding the proposed roads in the Tricity area.
The court also asked Haryana to provide a status report on the steps taken to implement the greenfield project before the national highway at Tepla and its proposed extension beyond Nalagarh to Pinjore and Kalka. The Chandigarh administration was also asked to file an affidavit detailing plans to manage traffic on the Kurali road entering Chandigarh and whether there are proposals for a flyover or elevated road, given the road's designation as PR-4 and its potential to increase traffic flow near PGIMER through Khudda Lohara-Jassu, a known bottleneck.
Punjab government informed the court that a new piece of land near Paroul village in New Chandigarh has been identified for the Metro depot, which is more feasible than the earlier offered site. Discussions are ongoing with senior officers regarding the confirmation of 21 hectares near Paroul to facilitate the operations and maintenance of the proposed Metro corridor. Technical requirements are being reviewed before finalizing the decision to hand over this parcel of land.
This response followed the court's April observation that there was no substantial reason for Punjab to delay providing the necessary infrastructure for the Metro project in the Tricity area. The court's observation was in response to Amrinder Singh, the amicus curiae, who had mentioned reports of delays in the UT administration's initiation of Metro work due to Punjab's pending approval for releasing 50 acres in New Chandigarh for the depot's construction.
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