The pace of work on subways in Connaught Place’s (CP) Outer Circle continues to be sub-standard. The New Delhi Municipal (NDMC), which has been pushing all deadlines, has now said that work on four new subways in the Outer Circle will be completed only by the end of 2013. Apart from this, the civic agency is yet to finish the renovation work of the existing five subways. This work was supposed to get over by the end of this year.

At many sites, access to these subways has become difficult as construction material has been left outside, which has now become a security hazard. “We are adding additional mouths inside the existing subways and installing escalators too. But these subways are functional and people are using them too,” said a senior NDMC official. 

Before the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the civic agency had embarked on an ambitious project to create eight new subways in the Outer Circle, but was able to secure permissions to start work on only four — two at Barakhamba Road and two at Panchkuian Road.

To start work on the main carriageway of the Barakhamba subway, traffic movement on Barakhamba road would have to be restricted once more. While work is on at the Barakhamba Road, the fate of Panchkuian Road subway is still uncertain.

“The contractor has not been given permission to start work on Panchkuian Road as the traders are resisting it. Once we give them the green signal, they will then have to get permission from the traffic police, which too will at least a few more months,” added the official.

Since the beginning of the year, Delhiites have been facing huge traffic jams as the civic agency began work on the subways in the Outer Circle.

“Our sales took a hit due to the construction work. The Lt. Governor had also said that access to all the shops in the Outer Circle shouldn’t be restricted in any manner but that has not been done. We have been maintaining from the start that all eight subways were not required. The plan had been too ambitious and impractical to begin with,” said a trader.