<p>Mysuru: More than 100 people participated in the public hearing held for Forest department clearance to chop about 10-year-old 48 Azadirachta indica species - neem - trees on the median on NH-275 -Mysuru ring road - to build a flyover for improvement of a black spot at Devalapura cross junction.</p><p>Chaos prevailed during the hearing on Wednesday and there could not be any final conclusion. This was the second public hearing held in this regard. </p> .<p>On one hand several local people demanded for flyover. On the other hand, few people of Hosahundi village, environmentalists and NGO members including Parashuramegowda of Parisara Balaga, Ravi Bale of Mysore Grahakara Parishat and others urged to drop the flyover project. They advised to take up maintenance of road, find reasons for accidents, explore alternative remedial measures to reduce them. </p><p>The PWD-National Highway has taken up the flyover project at a cost of Rs 20.8 crore for a stretch of 800 metre on the Ring Road from 23.690 km to 24.420 km. They have even finalised the tender and issued work order too.</p> .<p>Sridhar, Regional officer cum Chief Engineer, Ministry of road transport, Bengaluru; Anil Shouri, Executive Engineer, PWD, National Highway Division, Bengaluru; officials of the PWD-National Highway, Mysuru division, AEE H R Roopa, AE Vinay Kumar held the public hearing. They claimed that they are doing it in the best interest of the general public to reduce accidents. </p><p>They explained that, this junction near Uttanahalli connects to State Highway-210-Mysuru-Hadinaru road, leading to villages like Devalapura, Hadinaru, and Hadjana. While the ring road is a major connecting road to Mysuru, due to increased vehicular density, people from the villages are struggling at the junction. </p> .<p>The Ministry of Road Transport and Highway has declared this stretch as a 'black spot' in 2024. There were four non fatal accidents in 2017; eight accidents with one death and 12 injured in 2018; 12 accidents with one death and 13 injured in 2019; six accidents with two deaths and eight injured in 2020; five accidents with one death and six injured in 2021; five accidents with one death and six injured in 2022; eight accidents with three deaths and five injured in 2023; 10 accidents with three deaths and seven injured in 2024; six accidents with one death and five injured; one accident with one injured this year so far. </p> .<p>As per IRC (Indian Roads Congress) standard, temporary correctional measures have already been taken up, including installing rumble strips and signboards. As a permanent measure, the flyover is being proposed, they added. </p> .<p>ACF Ravindra, RFO Santhosh Hoogar, DRFO Gurumurthy, field forester Santhosh Nayak were present. ACF Ravindra said, they could not take any decision to permit them to chop trees under Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act. </p><p>Officials of NH PWD informed that they are writing to the forest department explaining the significance of the project in view of public safety in order to seek permission from the State Government to clear trees. </p><p>Surendra B, Sub Inspector, Mysuru South police Station, Mahesh M N, Community Organizer and Manjunath R, Health Inspector, Kadakola Town Panchayath were present. </p>
<p>Mysuru: More than 100 people participated in the public hearing held for Forest department clearance to chop about 10-year-old 48 Azadirachta indica species - neem - trees on the median on NH-275 -Mysuru ring road - to build a flyover for improvement of a black spot at Devalapura cross junction.</p><p>Chaos prevailed during the hearing on Wednesday and there could not be any final conclusion. This was the second public hearing held in this regard. </p> .<p>On one hand several local people demanded for flyover. On the other hand, few people of Hosahundi village, environmentalists and NGO members including Parashuramegowda of Parisara Balaga, Ravi Bale of Mysore Grahakara Parishat and others urged to drop the flyover project. They advised to take up maintenance of road, find reasons for accidents, explore alternative remedial measures to reduce them. </p><p>The PWD-National Highway has taken up the flyover project at a cost of Rs 20.8 crore for a stretch of 800 metre on the Ring Road from 23.690 km to 24.420 km. They have even finalised the tender and issued work order too.</p> .<p>Sridhar, Regional officer cum Chief Engineer, Ministry of road transport, Bengaluru; Anil Shouri, Executive Engineer, PWD, National Highway Division, Bengaluru; officials of the PWD-National Highway, Mysuru division, AEE H R Roopa, AE Vinay Kumar held the public hearing. They claimed that they are doing it in the best interest of the general public to reduce accidents. </p><p>They explained that, this junction near Uttanahalli connects to State Highway-210-Mysuru-Hadinaru road, leading to villages like Devalapura, Hadinaru, and Hadjana. While the ring road is a major connecting road to Mysuru, due to increased vehicular density, people from the villages are struggling at the junction. </p> .<p>The Ministry of Road Transport and Highway has declared this stretch as a 'black spot' in 2024. There were four non fatal accidents in 2017; eight accidents with one death and 12 injured in 2018; 12 accidents with one death and 13 injured in 2019; six accidents with two deaths and eight injured in 2020; five accidents with one death and six injured in 2021; five accidents with one death and six injured in 2022; eight accidents with three deaths and five injured in 2023; 10 accidents with three deaths and seven injured in 2024; six accidents with one death and five injured; one accident with one injured this year so far. </p> .<p>As per IRC (Indian Roads Congress) standard, temporary correctional measures have already been taken up, including installing rumble strips and signboards. As a permanent measure, the flyover is being proposed, they added. </p> .<p>ACF Ravindra, RFO Santhosh Hoogar, DRFO Gurumurthy, field forester Santhosh Nayak were present. ACF Ravindra said, they could not take any decision to permit them to chop trees under Karnataka Preservation of Trees Act. </p><p>Officials of NH PWD informed that they are writing to the forest department explaining the significance of the project in view of public safety in order to seek permission from the State Government to clear trees. </p><p>Surendra B, Sub Inspector, Mysuru South police Station, Mahesh M N, Community Organizer and Manjunath R, Health Inspector, Kadakola Town Panchayath were present. </p>