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LUCKNOW: In a major setback to the Mayawati Government, a Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday restrained it from proceeding with the mammoth Ganga Expressway project in Uttar Pradesh.

The Court directed the State Government to obtain prior environmental clearance before proceeding with the construction work on the ambitious road project.

The order was passed by a Division Bench of Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice Arun Tandon on a petition filed by a Varanasi-based social organisation, Ganga Mahasabha. In its petition, the organisation said large parts of the State would be exposed to many environmental hazards by the expressway project.

In its order, the Bench restrained the Government from proceeding with the highway project until it obtained due clearance from the State-level Environment Impact Assessment Authority “in accordance with law”. The Court quashed a clearance certificate produced by the State Government, saying that it had not been obtained “in accordance with law”.

The 1047-km-long access-controlled Greater Noida-Ballia eight-lane expressway project is planned to be built along the left bank of the Ganga at an estimated cost of Rs.30,000 crore, aimed at bridging the gap between the backward Eastern UP and the developed areas of Western UP. The project was announced by Chief Minister Mayawati on September 6, 2007. At the time of its launch the project was expected to be completed in four years. When built, the travel time from Ballia to Noida would be reduced to about ten hours.

The Ganga Expressway project was divided into four sectors: Greater Noida to Fatehgarh via Bulandshahr (253 km), Fatehgarh to Dalmau (Rae Bareli) (305 km), Dalmau to Aurai in Bhadohi (211 km), and Aurai to Ballia (278 km).

To be built on the public-private partnership (PPP) model, the contract for developing the expressway was awarded to Jaypee Group by the UP Government on January 15, 2008. The concession agreement was signed with the State Government by Jaypee Ganga Infrastructure Corporation in March 2008. The concession period is 35 years with the company allowed to charge toll for 35 years.

Right from its inception, the highway project hit several road blocks, mainly those associated with the alignment of the eight-lane expressway.

The opposition mainly came from farmers, with some organisations and political parties throwing in their weight behind the agitating farmers.

This was because of the fact that about 70 per cent of the land earmarked for the project is farm land. According to informed sources, only about 10 per cent of this land was with the State Government.

Several sops were announced by the Chief Minister for the farmers whose land would be acquired for building the project, including free residential properties and quotas in jobs.

Maya’s Ganga Expressway fails to impress voters

Of the 17 districts through which the Expressway is supposed to pass, the ruling BSP could only win two seats — Gautam Budh Nagar and Aligarh. On her 52nd birthday — January 15, 2008 — Mayawati laid the foundation for the 1,047-km Ganga Expressway joining Ballia in the far east of the state to Greater Noida in the west.

At a cost of Rs 30,000 crore, it was said that once the Expressway came into existence, it would reduce the journey from Ballia to Delhi to less than eight hours. The project was awarded to Jaiprakash Associates Limited (JAL) and it was expected that it would bring in huge investments by opening up the hinterland.

According to a company official, as per the latest JAL alignment report, the Expressway is supposed to pass through Ballia, Ghazipur, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Allahabad, Pratapgarh, Rae Bareli, Unnao, Kanpur, Hard-oi, Shahjahanpur, Farrukhabad, Etah, Badaun, Aligarh, Bulandshahr, Gautam Budh Nagar (Greater Noida). 

“The survey and other related works are almost complete in the 17 districts except Ballia. Five survey agencies have been deputed to carry on the work,” said a JAL official.

The reason why the Expressway failed to capture the people’s imagination was that even after two years, there has been no work on the ground. Even land acquisition is far from complete. The company is suppose to deposit 10 per cent of the total land cost with the government — around Rs 400 crore — as compensation for the land owners. “Once the money is deposited, the magistrate of respective districts will start land acquisition process,” said a official. The JAL, he said, has so far deposited around Rs 100 crore with the UP Expressway Industrial Development Authority.

Sources in the government said the project was deliberately put on hold to avoid farmers’ agitation as there is over 62,000 hectares to be acquired. Incidentally, the SP and the BJP had been raising the issue of floods and displacement of farmers since the inception of the project.

“The project is supposed to come up on the north embankment of the river which is mostly fertile agricultural land, especially the area between Farrukhabad and Ballia,” said UK Sinha, Director, Centre for Contemporary Study and Research of Lucknow, which is doing a study on the impact of Expressway on agricultural practices in eastern UP. It is also studying the possibility of floods once commercial activities start at the north embankments. The state government had evolved a resettlement scheme ensuring optimum rehabilitation of all those who will be affected by the project. It incorporates minimum wages for one year along with employment training to all those who cannot get employment under the project. Families which lose their homes were supposed to get 150 square metres in urban areas and 250 square metre in the rural area for free. The farmers will also entitled to invest 10 per cent of their compensation in the form of shares in the developer’s company.

Beginning has been made on Ganga Expressway

Ganga Expressway a dead end for Mayawati

The most ambitious project announced by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, the Ganga Expressway, failed to impress voters even though it came along with a promise of development to the remotest parts of east UP. Of the 17districts through which the Expressway is supposed to pass, the BSP could win only two seats.

Mayawati laid the foundation stone for the Rs 30,000-crore 1,047-km Ganga Expressway joining Ballia in the far east of the state to Greater Noida on January 15, 2008. It was said to reduce the journey from Ballia to Delhi to less than eight hours and there were claims that the project would bring in huge investments in the hinterland.

As per the latest alignment report of JAL, which was assigned the project, the Expressway is to pass through Ballia, Ghazipur, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Allahabad, Pratapgarh, Rae Bareli, Unnao, Kanpur, Hardoi, Shahjahanpur, Farrukhabad, Etah, Badaun, Aligarh, Bulandshahr and Gautambudhnagar (Greater Noida). The BSP could win Gautambudhnagar and Aligarh. One reason why the Ganga Expressway failed to win admirers was that there has been little work on the project. Even land acquisition is incomplete. Sources in the Government said the project was deliberately put on hold to avoid farmers’ agitations over land acquisition as over 62,000 hectares will be required. The Government has already faced strong agitation of farmers during the acquisition of land for the Yamuna Expressway. Incidentally, the SP and the BJP, had been raising the issue of floods and displacement of farmers.