NHAI moves top court over SYL Canal bridge
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has moved the Supreme Court seeking permission to construct a major bridge over the Satluj-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal at Pawala village in Fatehgarh Sahib as part of a new Greenfield Expressway connecting Chandigarh with the Amritsar-Jamnagar Economic Corridor.
The 135-km expressway will start from Tricity (Chandigarh-Mohali-Panchkula) towards Sirhind (Fatehgarh Sahib district) and terminate at Sehna (Barnala district) on the Amritsar-Jamnagar Corridor. The project is divided into four packages, Mohali-Sirhind (27.37 km); Sirhind-Malerkotla (51.83 km); Malerkotla-Sangrur (33.30 km); and Sangrur-Barnala (21.79 km).
Land Acquisition for all four packages has been completed and notifications under Section 3D of the National Highways Act, the NHAI submitted. The authority is executing through a contractor the Greenfield Alignment Sirhind-Mohali NH-205 AG (27.37 km) project under the Bharatmala Pariyojna Phase-1 that starts from Bhagomajra village in SAS Nagar district (NH-205 A) and ends at Saidpura village in Sirhind (NH-44).
The work on the Mohali-Sirhind package, which will connect Chandigarh with the NH-44 on the Delhi-Amritsar national highway, has already started. The Mohali-Sirhind-Sehna corridor will provide connectivity with the upcoming 655-km Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway.
The Mohali-Sirhind-Sehna stretch will connect Chandigarh with New Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway and the Amritsar-Jamnagar Economic Corridor, providing high-speed connectivity.
It would also enhance connectivity with the Chandigarh Airport from the NH-44 and major towns such as Rajpura, Sirhind, Khanna etc., the NHAI said.
Haryana and Punjab had earlier told the SC that they did not dispute the national importance of the project and might not have a serious objection to the NHAI’s prayers. However, Punjab has sought certain clarifications from the NHAI on the ownership of land on which the bridge would be constructed, while Haryana has put forth certain conditions.
The SC’s permission is needed in view of its November 30, 2016, order directing Punjab and Haryana to maintain status quo and appoint receivers of land, works, properties and portions of the SYL Canal.
