Bengaluru: The south bench of the National Green Tribunal on Friday granted an interim injunction on Bengaluru Development Authority (BDA) proposal to construct the steel flyover between Basaveshwara Circle and Hebbal.

The Chennai-based southern bench of the National Green Tribunal on Friday stayed the controversial steel bridge project in the city for four weeks over environmental concerns. The bench has served notices to the state government, the BDA, the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and sought their response before the next hearing on November 25.

Citizens Action Forum (CAF) members N S Mukunda and V Balasubramaniam, former additional chief secretary, filed the petition. Expressing happiness over the interim injection order by the NGT, Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar has described it as people’s victory. “Deepavali represents triumph of Good over evil and NGT has given Bengaluru it’s Deepavali gift,’’ Rajeeva Chandrasekhar said.

Chandrasekhar said this petition and interim order opens the door to a detailed scrutiny of the environmental impact of government’s action on the steel flyover. “This also puts a brake on the unholy and brazen rush of this government to award and start the contract despite the visible and widespread opposition by the citizens. Yet again, it is the judiciary that steps in to protect interests of city and citizens from an insensitive government that seems to be mnore driven by vested interests than the interests of its own people,’’ he said.