Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court noted that the state cannot go ahead with the steel flyover project without clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority. The Advocate General for the State of Karnataka said that the Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) has not applied for clearance yet.

Udaya Holla, Advocate General representing Karnataka told the court that the BDA is yet to apply for environmental clearance. Even before this, the proposal of any development project concerning acquisition of land must get clearance. One can get past this after completing four stages of public consultation. Rules regarding this are found in the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act.

The 7-km stretch of steel bridge is estimated to cost the city Rs 2000 crore and 2000 trees

The proposed project aims to connect Hebbal and Chalukya Circle in Bengaluru. The project was proposed by the previous Congress government and was scrapped after facing severe criticism and protest from the public and environment groups including Namma Bengaluru Foundation.

It is an anti-Bengaluru project, Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) had said. NBF had filed a writ petition in this regard (against steel flyover) in November 2016. The next court hearing has been fixed for June 2019.

However, after withdrawing the project in 2017, recently home minister, Congress leader G Parameshwara had stated again that the government was interested in proceeding with the steel flyover project to help those travelling to the airport.