Delhi: Agencies yet to locate RTR underpass leak

RTR underpass — a Y-shaped, 1.2-km underpass that connects Benito Juarez Marg with San Martin Marg and Ring Road — was opened in July 2022, but has suffered drainage problems ever since

A steady stream of water continued to seep into at least two sections of the RTR underpass near Dhaula Kuan on Wednesday, even as officials attempted to detect the point of origin of the leakage.

HT on March 11 had reported that the constant trickling of water from the joints of the underpass has made the road surface slippery and accident prone. (HT PHOTO)

RTR underpass — a Y-shaped, 1.2-km underpass that connects Benito Juarez Marg with San Martin Marg and Ring Road — was opened in July 2022, but has suffered drainage problems ever since. HT on March 11 had reported that the constant trickling of water from the joints of the underpass has made the road surface slippery and accident prone.

The issue of the leakage is currently being probed by three agencies — the Public Works Department (PWD), the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC).

On Wednesday, a team of officials from the three agencies deployed at the underpass to detect and plug the leakage point said their efforts are yet to yield any results — and the lack of results has resulted in a subtle blame-game between the agencies.

“We started early in the morning and no leakage point has been detected so far,” a PWD worker said.

DJB said a preliminary enquiry has found that there are three sets of water lines which run above the section of the underpass connecting Benito Juarez Marg and San Martin Marg. “One of these lines pertains to NDMC. The second line pertains to the Haiderpur water treatment plant. The third line is a 900 mm diameter pertaining to maintenance division EE(D)--102,” a DJB official said, adding that it is suspected that the leak is in one of these three lines.

The official said all three agencies are making efforts to trace the leakage point.

“The DJB executive engineer’s office has checked the DJB portion by digging it, but no leakage was found in this portion. PWD was not allowed to dig the portion under the PWD footpath. A joint inspection was carried out at the site by DJB, PWD and NDMC officials. We marked points, and a line was excavated by the Water Treatment Plant team on the south Delhi main route and no leakage found from this line,” DJB officials said.

NDMC officials, meanwhile, said that the leakage is not on their line. “Our engineers went with PWD and DJB officials, and the area around our line was found completely dry. There has been no leakage from our side. Several slabs above and below the line were also found dry. The inspections have been going on over the last 2-3 days,” the official said.