New Delhi, Aug 11 (PTI) There is no need to install sound barriers along the operational stretch of the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor as a study found that the noise levels are within permissible levels, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday.
Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu said this in a written reply to a question by MP S Niranjan Reddy.
Reddy had asked whether NCRTC has installed sound barriers as recommended by the 5th report of the Standing Committee on Housing and Urban Affairs.
"National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), the implementing agency for Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor, has informed that as per the study conducted by Central Road Research Institute (CRRI), the noise levels are within the permissible levels and therefore, no sound barriers are envisaged in the operational stretch of the Delhi-Meerut Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor," the minister said.
Last month, the government informed Rajya Sabha that the 'Functional Plan on Transport for NCR-2032' prepared by the National Capital Region Planning Board (NCRPB) had recommended the development of eight rail-based high-speed, high-frequency Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridors to connect city centres of metropolitan and big cities, towns and urban areas.
The eight recommended RRTS corridors are Delhi-Gurugram-Rewari-Alwar, Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Sonipat-Panipat, Delhi-Faridabad-Ballabhgarh-Palwal, Delhi-Bahadurgarh-Rohtak, Delhi-Shahdara-Baraut, Ghaziabad-Khurja and Ghaziabad-Hapur.
The erstwhile Planning Commission of India (now NITI Aayog) appointed a task force under the chairmanship of the Secretary, MoHUA (previously MoUD) and prioritised the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut, Delhi-Gurugram-SNB, and Delhi-Panipat corridors, Sahu told the Rajya Sabha last month.