Highway threatened by city

VADODARA, May 27: You may have thought that only cities were the victims of mindless urbanisation. But even highways aren't safe from it, if...

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VADODARA, May 27: You may have thought that only cities were the victims of mindless urbanisation. But even highways aren’t safe from it, if the busy Vadodara-Jambuva highway bypass is anything to go by.

If official sources in the Vadodara Urban Development Authority, National Highway No 8 authorities and the Collectorate are to be believed, the 26-km-long bypass may well become a part of Vadodara city within five years. Though legal, scores of godowns, shops, residences and restaurants have mushroomed along the highway, alongside hundreds of small kiosks, hawkers and ancillary activities.

There are 10 large godowns, three residential colonies, two amusement parks, about a dozen hotels (and restaurants), a large vegetable market and about 10 farm houses dotted around the bypass, while a massive Indian Air Force base is on the cards. As late as the ’80s, it was all agricultural land. As Vadodara began bursting at its seams, however, almost half the farm land was gradually turned over to non-agricultural use.

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All this is legal, of course, the officials hasten to point out, but that still doesn’t take away from the destruction urbanisation has wreaked on the pristine surroundings.

As an obvious corollary to this, accidents have shown an upward trend from about one/km in the eighties to six at present. The Vadodara bypass, in fact could be among the most “deadly” stretches in the State, say officials.Sources say the bypass was constructed in 1982 estimating a load of 8,000 PCUs (passenger car units) to 10,000 PCUs. Within five years it had to be upgraded to accommodate 30,000 to 40,000 PCUs. By 1990, work had begun to four-lane the bypass. Except for an eight-km stretch, the entire bypass is now four-lane, handling 80,000 PCUs every day.

District Collector Anil Mukim and superintendent engineer NH-8, Vadodara circle, M M Jivani admit that they have come to know of the increasing load on the Vadodara bypass only recently. Both Mukim and Jivani as well as VUDA officials assert that all the laws are being upheld in the urbanisation of the highway.

Sources, however, insist that the authorities were planning to declare a 250 m area on either side of the highway bypass as irrigation zone — thereby banning all sorts of establishments — which would help the traffic maintain a speed of 100 km/hour. High speed movement translates into high octroi and toll collection. At present, the leeway is about 40 to 70 m, which is conducive to congestion.

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When asked about the exact plans for the bypass, Mukim said he would soon hold a meeting with VUDA and NH-8 authorities to “do the needful. I share their concerns and at the same time I cannot allow a situation to arise when another bypass will be necessary.”