Delhi's Ashram Underpass work misses deadline once again

NEW DELHI: Commuters travelling from DND, Faridabad, Badarpur, Sarai Kale Khan, Mathura Road and Outer Ring Road, who thought that commuting would ease by November, will have to bear the pain for three more months as the construction work of Ashram Underpass has once again delayed. 

This time the halt is not because of Covid-19, pollution ban or a cable wire of Delhi Transco Limited (DTL) but due to a faulty design plan.  According to a senior PWD official, a 20 metre long constructed wall of underpass will have to be demolished and reconstructed, as the route alignment intersects with an already existing wall of Ashram underground metro station. 

Due to the collision, the PWD will have to redesign the particular route and reconstruct the wall to avoid any kind of hiccups in the future.  “As per the drawing plan, the wall is running pass the wall of Ashram underground metro station, the alignment of the entire wall is not matching due to metro line. We are demolishing the 20 metre wall and re-constructing it with a proper design for perfect alignment. The demolishing work started from Monday and will go on for 15-20 days, “said the senior official. 

Approx 95 per cent work is completed but got delayed due to a DTL cable falling on the route of underpass, due to which the PWD missed its August deadline. PWD Minister said that they have directed the department concerned to remove the cable, so the work can be completed by December. 

The construction has already missed four deadlines due to covid lockdown, migration of labour, lack of funds, material supply and construction ban by NGT due to increasing level of pollution in the city. 

​The delay in the project will again put the commuters in a havoc situation for another three months. 

Earlier, there was two lane stretch for the traffic going towards Badarpur from Ashram Chowk, but due to this construction, only one lane is opened for traffic movement. Due to this, a heavy traffic jam is witnessed daily on Mathura Road and Outer Ring Road.  People get stuck during the peak hours with the situation getting worse due to heavy rainfall. 

Further, the residents living in the nearby areas like Siddharth Extension, Kalindi Colony, Amar Colony, Lajpat Nagar, Ashram, Kilokri Village, New Friends Colony, Nehru Nagar and Sun Light Colony are also affected as several commuters take these inner colony road as a short-cut route to avoid the traffic jam. 

Due to delay in the underpass project, the Delhi Traffic Police has denied to give No Objection Certificate (NOC) to the PWD to start the construction work of the extension of flyover. “The traffic movement is already affected in this area due to the ongoing underpass construction and if the flyover construction starts, it will be a disaster for both commuters as well the traffic police. So, NOC will be given only after the underpass is ready for public”, said a senior traffic police official. 

Halt in construction  leads to heavy traffic jams 
Earlier, there was a two lane stretch for the traffic going towards Badarpur from Ashram Chowk, but due to this construction, only one lane is opened for traffic movement. Due to this, a heavy traffic jam is witnessed daily on Mathura Road and Outer Ring Road. People get stuck during the peak hours with the situation getting worse due to heavy rainfall.