New Delhi: The Public Works Department (PWD) plans to move court for vacating the stay orders on several flyover projects because of the lack of green clearance. According to PWD officials, major projects like the Punjabi Bagh and Anand Vihar flyovers are partially ready, but the work has come to a standstill. At Barapullah Phase 3, more than 90% of the construction work has been over, but the project lies incomplete with no progress for years.
The Barapullah project aims to provide seamless connectivity between Mayur Vihar I and Sarai Kale Khan, where the corridor will join the existing Barapullah Phase I and offer signal-free connectivity between east Delhi and AIIMS. The third phase of the project, involving the construction of a 3.5km stretch, started in April 2015 and was scheduled to be completed in Oct 2017. More than 200 trees are to be transplanted in the project, but officials said a fresh survey might be undertaken by the forest department.
The project, which has missed several deadlines over the past few years, has also been affected due to construction bans, floods and delays in land acquisition.
At the Anand Vihar flyover, which starts from the railway overbridge, the missing tree-cutting permissions have delayed the completion of side ramps and a footpath. The facilities are unlikely to be finished by the time the flyover opens. The deadline for the flyover, which includes an elevated corridor, pedestrian subway and side ramps, was moved from Dec 2023 to April 2024 and now to the end of Sept. The ramps will provide access to the flyover from nearby colonies.
Previously, the Anand Vihar-Road No 56 area was classified as a deemed forest, causing work to halt completely for some days last year and resulting in a penalty being imposed on PWD by the forest department. The work started after PWD paid the fine. Around 70 trees are coming in the way of completing the project. “We plan to move for vacation of the stay order in the Punjabi Bagh project soon. The Anand Vihar flyover project is ready for opening, but the tree-cutting permissions are awaited to pave the way for other projects,” said an official.
The work for the Punjabi Bagh corridor has been undergoing for two years. In the meantime, the traffic congestion on this stretch of Ring Road is getting worse due to the poor condition of the road during the monsoon. Around 30 trees are stalling the completion of the project. The forest department did not respond to queries.
