Ahmedabad is going to face loss of a part of it’s already scarce green cover in coming weeks. The projected split flyover near Pallav Crossroads at Naranpura will be necessitating chopping of over 100 neem trees Ahmedabad Municipal corporation itself got planted a decade back.
A total of 100 trees are to be cut down for the 90 crore flyover over Pallav crossroads. The flyover would be 935 metres with two split lanes, with a width of 7.50 metres each. It would be extended up to 40 metres over Pallav crossroads and 25 metres over Pragatinagar crossroads. Neem trees were planted, in the Pallav crossroads of the Naranpura area of Ahmedabad, along both sides of the BRTS corridor approximately 10 years ago.
The engineering department has estimated a loss of about 100 trees while carrying out this project survey before the civil work starts. Now the officials are reluctant to give exact numbers of the green loss Ahmedabad is going to face. Earlier in 2011, the AMC had commissioned Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), which suggested a flyover at the Pallav Crossroads in Naranpura. As per the officials, it is necessary due to increased traffic along the 132 feet ring road. The flyover’s one end to drop near Akhbarnagar and the other end to drop near AEC crossroads. The trees near the BRTS corridor would be chopped and footpaths would be narrowed. The ongoing civil work has been started by removal of the overhead high tension power distribution lines which took almost four years to be installed.
Regarding the green damage along the BRTS corridors, Assistant Commissioner Vishal Khanama said that ” Currently, one part of the corridor has been closed for construction of the flyover. The split design of the flyover will do away with the need to relocate BRTS stations.”
