Delhi HC directs PWD to issue tender for Rajputana Rifles FOB

The Delhi High Court directed the PWD to issue tenders for a footbridge for the Rajputana Rifles, addressing soldiers' access issues highlighted in a report.

New Delhi

The report highlighted the ordeal of over 3,000 soldiers of the regiment who were forced to march through a smelly culvert — which overflows during rains — four times a day to head to their parade ground as authorities failed to build an FOB. (Representative photo)

The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to initiate the process for issuing tenders for the construction of a footover bridge (FOB) for the Rajputana Rifles, the oldest rifle regiment of the Indian Army, based out of Delhi Cantonment. The direction came in a suo motu proceeding initiated on a report published by HT in May.

A bench of justices Prathiba M Singh and Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora issued the direction after perusing Delhi Cantonment Board’s (DCB) status report which stated that all the authorities—including the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), PWD and Rajputana Rifles Regiment Centre—had agreed for completing the construction of the bridge within 10 months in the joint meetings conducted on July 10 and 24.

According to the report, a short-term measure to construct a Bailey bridge was proposed. A Bailey bridge is a strong, modular structure, the parts of which can be assembled or moved when needed. The report was filed in response to the high court’s June 18 order, directing stakeholders PWD, Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB) and the Delhi Traffic Police to hold a joint meeting in July to brainstorm an immediate solution to construct a bridge for the convenience of the soldiers.

“Simultaneously let the tender process for construction of the FOB be also initiated by the PWD and report be filed. In the meantime, the maintenance of the culvert will continue to be carried out,” the court said in its order, fixing August 29 as the next date of hearing.

The court took suo motu cognisance of a report titled “A smelly trail from barracks to grounds: Regiment’s daily battle in Delhi,” published in these columns on May 26. The report highlighted the ordeal of over 3,000 soldiers of the regiment who were forced to march through a smelly culvert — which overflows during rains — four times a day to head to their parade ground as authorities failed to build an FOB. Taking the report’s judicial notice, the court had called the situation “unacceptable” noting that soldiers, as per the report, were required to pass through the culvert, slick with sludge, four times a day and that a request for a bridge was not fulfilled.

On Monday, the DCB counsel informed the court that stakeholders had identified works, such as the shifting of utilities, but the exact location of the cables was not known and required inspection. Taking note, the bench directed TATA Power and BSES officials to conduct a joint inspection with the PWD executive engineer and DCB CEO on August 1 to identify the cables to be shifted, and the responsible agency.

The same bench, while hearing suo motu proceedings on Delhi’s waterlogging issue, expressed concern over the lack of coordination among various agencies responsible for managing the city’s drainage system. It directed the Chief Secretary to consider appropriate measures, including the possibility of centralising the administration and management of flood control in the Capital.

“Time has come for the Delhi government to take a comprehensive decision as to the manner in which civic services in Delhi need to be managed and administered—one glaring example—is storm water drains in the management of MCD and sewage water drain under DJB. This has led to non maintenance of either of the lines leading to excessive flooding in Delhi, neither of the drain pipes are being properly managed by the agencies who seem to be passing the buck,” the court said in the order.

It added, “This order shall be placed before the Chief Secretary, Delhi Government, for being placed before to take a decision on some centralisation of administration and management of flooding in Delhi. If required, the matter may even be placed before the LG.”