The stalemate over the construction of a Metro viaduct at Chingrighata on EM Bypass must be resolved through discussions among stakeholders from the railways and the state government, the high court said on Wednesday.
A division bench of Justices Sujoy Paul and Smita Das De was hearing a PIL that sought “urgent judicial intervention in the inordinate delay in the completion” of the Orange Line, which will link New Garia and the airport when fully operational.
Railway officials said a 366-metre gap in the viaduct at Chingrighata is the last major obstacle for the long-delayed project.
Judicial prod
“The bench stressed the importance of the project, which will be of great help to the public,” said Pradyumna Sinha, counsel for the petitioner. “It said a meeting should be convened soon. On Thursday, the court has to be informed of the date and venue of the meeting. If discussions fail, the court will pass an appropriate order.”
The agencies involved in the matter include Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL), which is executing the project; Metro Railway; the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA); and Kolkata Police, said those familiar with the case.
There is a precedent of judicial intervention pushing Metro work forward. A long-stalled underground section of the East-West Metro between BBD Bag and Esplanade progressed after Calcutta High Court stepped in. Justice Dipankar Dutta — now a Supreme Court judge — had directed the agencies to resolve issues, helping break the deadlock caused by land logjams and the reluctance of the Archaeological Survey of India to grant clearance for building tunnels near heritage structures.
The current stalemate
The Orange Line currently operates between New Garia and Beleghata. The next section, between Beleghata and Salt Lake, is close to commissioning, except for the missing 366m viaduct between Beleghata and Gour Kishor Ghosh (Chingrighata) stations.
Construction of this segment has been stalled since February 2. Three concrete piers need to be lifted to bridge the gap — but that requires traffic blocks, for which police clearance has yet to
come despite multiple high-level meetings between top police officers and railway officials.
“We need three blocks, each from 11pm to 7am, starting Friday night and ending Monday morning. This needs to happen over two consecutive weekends to complete the job,” said Sakya Sen, counsel for the RVNL. The agency has already built a 600m diversion road, based on a communication from Kolkata Police.
Subway construction
The state government has withheld the necessary no-objection certificate (NOC), insisting on the construction of a pedestrian underpass at Chingrighata, one of the busiest intersections in the city. The police anticipate a significant increase in pedestrian movement once the Metro station opens.
On Wednesday, RVNL cited a communication from Metro Railway stating that trains would not stop at Gour Kishor Ghosh station until the subway is constructed. A letter dated August 27 said trains would “run through” the station until the pedestrian subway is built. “Hence, NOC can be granted immediately,” the letter stated.
Railway sources saidthe KMDA and RVNL had initially agreed to share the cost of the underpass. The RVNL had prepared a design,which received preliminary approval.
However, the state government later proposed building a 7.1km flyover from the Metropolitan intersection to New Town. Railway officials said the state government subsequently withdrew its approval for the underpass, claiming that it would obstruct the piers of the proposed flyover.
The RVNL then agreed to tweak the underpass design and submitted a preliminary cost estimate to KMDA, seeking funds. “But there has been no response,” said an RVNL official.
