For Lucknow city, the proposed outer ring road has become a bone of contention between the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) and the Chief Town and Country Planner (CTCP). It was only a year ago when after the development agency got a resolution passed by its board recommending reduction in its width from the proposed 150 metre to 100 metre and change in alignment.
Now, the CTCP has turned down the proposal. The decision could adversely impact the upcoming hi-tech townships on Sultanpur and Rae Bareli road. The CTCP accuse LDA of taking a pro-developer stance, while the development agency blames CTCP officials of being rigid in their approach and drawing up an unworkable plan.
The CTCP NR Verma, in his report, gave over six reasons why any major deviation in the alignment or width of the 81 km long ring road would not be in the interest of the overall growth of the city and its residents. In one of the reasons, the CTCP said that in 2001-02, the city had 5,55,769 vehicles.
This number went up to 12,10,889 in 2011-12 registering an increase of 217.88 per cent. The CTCP asked the LDA to apply the standards of Indian Road Congress of 1977 or Urban Development Plans Formulation and Implementation (UDPFI) guidelines of 1996.
The CTCP has also argued on traffic network which has been planned on a ring-radial pattern in the city’s master plan of 2021. A 150 metre width has been proposed for all main radial roads, namely, Sitapur Road, Faizabad, Hardoi, Sultanpur, Rae Bareli and Kanpur roads. Hence, any change or reduction in the width of the outer ring road would break or disturb this network hierarchy.
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