IRC standards ‘not mandatory’ for building flyovers, claims BBMP

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) on Tuesday claimed before the High Court of Karnataka that Indian Road Congress (IRC) standards were not mandatory for construction of flyovers and the standards specified could be altered depending upon local requirement.

BBMP’s counsel made this submission before a Division Bench comprising acting Chief Justice H.G. Ramesh and Justice P.S. Dinesh Kumar during the hearing on a public interest litigation petition challenging the legality of construction of a steel flyover at Shivananda Circle in the city for various factors, including for not complying to the IRC standards.

Justifying the 4.5 m vertical clearance below the proposed flyover at the Shivananda junction, it was contended on behalf of the BBMP that a minimum vertical clearance of 5.5 m as per the IRC standards cannot be provided as the existing railway underpass nearby does not permit increasing the length of the flyover to provide 5.5 m vertical clearance and the corresponding gradient.

Meanwhile, counsel for the petitioner claimed that construction of a flyover at Shivananda Circle has no logic when the IRC standards cannot be applied keeping in mind the safety of road users, and cited a report, given by an expert on road engineering to the petitioners, in support of this claim.

However, counsel for the BBMP claimed that the flyover would not cause any hardship to road users or motorists, and added that the design of the flyover had been certified by experts from the Indian Institute of Science.

The Bench adjourned hearing till Wednesday while stating that the court was anxious to know whether allowing the flyover sans IRC standards would be in public interest or not. The court asked counsel for the BBMP and the petitioner about possibility of securing a report from an independent expert about the safety aspect of the present design of the flyover.