HC directs NHAI to submit measures to get rid of traffic congestion in vicinity of Fort

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The Aurangabad Bench of Bombay High Court comprising Justice Ravindra Ghuge and Justice Y G Khobragade today has directed the executive engineer of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Region) to submit a say in connection with the safety of heritage gate and the fortification wall opposite Daulatabad Fort and also suggest an alternate route for vehicles passing through the route. The next hearing on the PIL will be held on July 10.

The news highlighting traffic congestion for three hours on the road due to a bottleneck at the heritage gate in front of the fort got published in the newspapers. Hence the court took ‘suo moto’ cognizance of the news and got admitted a public interest litigation (PIL). When the petition came up for hearing on Tuesday, the bench gave the above order.

The traffic congestion on the road passing through the gate was held on April 23, 2023. Due to the absence of an alternate route, the vehicles of the tourists got stuck in the congestion for almost 3 hours. Hence the bench appointed Adv Neha Kamble as the ‘amicus curiae’ (friend of the court) in the case and she then made preparation and filed the petition in the high court.

One year ago NHAI suggested three alternatives to overcome the traffic congestion on this road. Adv Bhushan Kulkarni representing the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI, Aurangabad Circle) tabled the three alternatives in the court. The first option suggests constructing a 3.5 km long road from Abdi Mandi to the Ghat (on the eastern side of the fort). Of which, the 1.5 km long road will exist on government land. The second option recommends the building of an alternate road directly from the turn to the ghat. However, this proposal will be an expensive one as it would be passing through a residential area. The third option underlines construction of a 7-km long road from the rear side of the fort to the ghat.

The bench during the hearing recommended stopping the vehicles from passing through the heritage gate so that the gate and the fortification wall remain protected (unaffected). The court suggested constructing a bridge at a distance of 500 metres away from the gate on its left side.

Adv Neha Kamble referring to the passing of the vehicles at Barapulla Gate suggested allowing vehicles to go through the gate and build an alternate route for the vehicles to come. The assistant public prosecutor Sujit Karlekar represented the government.