If it rains for two hours, Delhi gets paralysed: SC

As Delhi faced huge jams during the rainy season, the Supreme Court on Monday said just two hours of rain paralyses the national capital.

“In Delhi, you know what happens...if it rains for two hours, the entire city gets paralysed,” a Bench led by CJI BR Gavai said while hearing a petition filed by the NHAI against the Kerala High Court suspending the toll collection at Paliyekkara in Kerala along National Highway 544 for four weeks due to bad condition of the NH stretch and traffic congestion.

The Bench, which also included Justice K Vinod Chandran and Justice NV Anjaria, asked the NHAI why a commuter should be asked to pay Rs 150 toll if it took 12 hours to cover the 65-km highway stretch.

“Why should a person pay Rs 150 if it takes 12 hours for him to get from one end of the road to the other end? A road, which is expected to take one hour, takes 11 more hours and they have to pay a toll as well,” the CJI said.

The Bench reserved its verdict on pleas filed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and concessionaire, Guruvayoor Infrastructure challenging the Kerala High Court’s order suspending toll collection at the Paliyekkara toll plaza in Thrissur.

The court’s comments came after it was informed about a nearly 12-hour traffic snarl on the stretch on the weekend.

The toll suspension was ordered by the High Court on August 6 on the ground of poor condition of the Edappally-Mannuthy stretch of NH-544 and severe traffic congestion caused by ongoing works.

“We will consider everything, reserve for orders,” it said after hearing Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the NHAI, and senior advocate Shyam Divan for the concessionaire.