Madras HC warns TN govt to ‘go slow’ on Chennai-Salem expressway

A division bench comprising Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice V Bhavani Subbaroyan made the above observation while hearing a batch of pleas against the proposed highway. As the bench asked the counsels as to whether fear among people persisted after their order not to dispossess landowners of their properties, the response was negative with the counsels harping on the no-tolerance approach to dissent over the project.

But when the aspect of over 500 trees being cut to pave way for the project was raised, the Government pleader TN Rajagopalan submitted a report. But the bench on going through the report raised a pertinent question as to how a private land has been sub-divided, without the owner’s knowledge. After a visibly upset bench raised a volley of questions as to how the sub-division of the land transpired, the Government pleader claimed that it seemed like a discrepancy while the official present there submitted that the sub-divisions are merely proposed ones for deciding on compensation and yet to be entered into the revenue records.

However, the bench on holding that nothing augurs well about the project and the government seems to be in undue haste in acquiring the lands, said the court would not hesitate to stay the whole project. 

Advocate T Mohan pointed out that the trees were being cut to ensure that such lands are marked as barren when the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) is done. But the Government pleader noted that while permission was only given to cut down just one dry tree, over 100 trees were cut. He has been arrested and the VAO suspended. To this, Justice Subbaroyan said even a child would not believe this story. Thereafter, the bench while directing the agency which created the feasible report to correct the mistakes including Chinese cities figuring between Chennai and Salem, directed the State to submit a report about the actions to be carried out and the Centre to submit a report by Friday as to when EIA would be taken up. 

A new elevated highway project connecting Madhavaram and Sholavaram is expected to be announced by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) soon. A Highways Department official said, “This project involves no land acquisitions with an aim to expedite the process in a speedy manner. Land acquisition involves a huge investment of money and time to purchase parcel of lands from the individuals. Thus, we decided to construct an elevated highway”. The official notification of the project will be made available in another two or three weeks, the official added. Although the cost of the project is not yet disclosed, he said that investment in elevated highways is 10 times higher when compared to constructing normal stretches. The project is being built under the Bharatmala Pariyojana scheme. The proposed alignment will pass through a length of 14.2 km.  Similarly, the NHAI is constructing another flyover at Retteri junction of over 100m on Jawaharlal Nehru Road for the proposed Madhavaram project.