India - Delhi: churches, gurdwaras and temples stand in the path of signal-free corridor

Daily Mail / Mail Today

Delhi government loses Rs 50 lakh a DAY as churches, gurdwaras and temples stand in the path of signal-free corridor

By Rakesh Ranjan

Published: 23:22 GMT, 8 March 2015

City planners in Delhi might have taken into account a plethora of technical challenges while envisaging a signal-free corridor from Vikaspuri to Wazirabad, but perhaps never imagined that the project would be delayed by the gods.

Around ten religious structures have blocked the completion of the key road link connecting north-east and west Delhi.

The proposed 25-km, signal-free corridor has been touted as the most ambitious road infrastructure project in the National Capital.
A gurdwara stands at the site of the first flyover on the corridor which would connect Vikaspuri to Meera Bagh
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A gurdwara stands at the site of the first flyover on the corridor which would connect Vikaspuri to Meera Bagh

But now, the Public Works Department (PWD) of the Delhi Government is paying heavily for the delay – a whopping Rs 50 lakh a day.

PWD officials said that three religious structures along the corridor – a church, a gurdwara and a temple — near Janakpuri District Centre have literally stalled construction work.

Officials said the project has been delayed by over six months while the monetary loss is estimated to be around Rs 100 crore till now.

The PWD, which is an executing agency, has taken up the matter with the religious committee of the Delhi government, but it is yet to be resolved.

A church and an Arya Samaj temple near Kangra Society on the carriageway from Vikaspuri to Mangolpuri have reportedly encroached upon the service lane, forcing the construction agency to stall the road widening exercise at the site.
Three religious structures, including a temple and a church near Janakpuri District Centre (circled), have stalled construction work
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Three religious structures, including a temple and a church near Janakpuri District Centre (circled), have stalled construction work

Demolition

PWD officials had demolished a part of the temple sometime back, but it was restored by Arya Samaj. Similarly, a gurdwara on the opposite carriageway has created identical hurdles.

This is the site of the first flyover on the corridor that would connect Vikaspuri with Meera Bagh. Likewise, two temples are stalling work of the Madhuban Chowk to Mukarba Chowk elevated stretch.

PWD engineers said there are another five or six temples along the corridor that have added to the delay.

“These religious structures have delayed the project by over six months. The religious committee of the Delhi government is yet to decide on the relocation or part demolition of these structures. The delay is causing a loss of approximately Rs 50 lakh per day to the government,” said a senior PWD official.

Half-way

He said the project is less than half complete, which has forced the PWD to revise the deadline from May 2015 to this year-end. Sources said the deadline could be extended further if the logjam is not over soon.

Officials rue that leaders of various political parties have objected to the removal of these religious structures during the recently-held elections in Delhi, following which the matter has been put on the backburner.

The 24.60-km corridor will have six flyovers measuring about 12 km in total. The entire corridor has been divided into four parts. The different segments include Vikaspuri to Meera Bagh, Mangolpuri to Madhuban Chowk, Madhuban Chowk to Mukarba Chowk and Mukarba Chowk to Wazirabad.

Nearly a dozen religious structures fall on the route

The corridor would facilitate seamless connectivity from west Delhi to north Delhi. Official sources said all four segments are running way behind schedule.

While nearly 40 per cent of work has been completed on the Vikaspuri-Meera Bagh section, a mere 30 per cent has been completed on the Mangolpuri- Madhuban Chowk project.

Similarly, only 40 per cent work has been completed on Madhuban Chowk-Mukarba Chowk and Mukarba Chowk- Wazirabad elevated corridors. All four projects began in April 2013. The entire project is being built at the cost of Rs 3,000 core.

Once completed, the signal-free corridor will provide seamless connectivity up to Noida from west and outer Delhi areas.

A senior official said the Vikaspuri-Wazirabad signal-free corridor will be further connected with Signature Bridge, which will provide direct connectivity up to Noida. This will also ease traffic entering Delhi from neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab.

Restriction

The project was delayed ever since work had started on the project. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had ordered the PWD to stall construction work as it required felling hundreds of tress to widen roads.

The NGT had put a restriction on the cutting of trees. However, the agency was allowed to go ahead after it assured the NGT that it would save around 70 trees by reducing the width of the corridor by nearly a meter at several points.