Shut for four days, Pragati Maidan tunnel in Delhi may open on Thursday

Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena held a meeting on Tuesday and issued instructions to rectify the engineering faults that led to waterlogging

Delhi lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena held a meeting on Tuesday with the chairman of the Indian Trade Promotion Organisation (ITPO) and the chief secretary to review the flooding of Pragati Maidan tunnel and issued necessary instructions to rectify the engineering faults that led to waterlogging on priority basis. The LG will also be visiting the Pragati Maidan tunnel site on Wednesday.

The waterlogged Pragati Maidan tunnel in New Delhi on Tuesday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PhotoHindustan Times)

Following heavy rainfall over the weekend, the Pragati Maidan tunnel has been shut intermittently since Saturday and was completely closed for traffic since Sunday.

Officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) said that the tunnel got waterlogged and blocked on Sunday evening after muddy water with construction debris from inside the Pragati Maidan premises, which is currently under construction, was pumped into the tunnel through the basement by the private developer.

Officials added that the tunnel, which was expected to reopen on Tuesday, will now open on Thursday as it has still not been cleared. The tunnel has now remained shut for the fourth consecutive day.

“All the water has nearly been pumped out. But the sludge with construction debris dumped inside has choked the drains. We are taking time to clean the sludge, which is no less than a desilting exercise. If the tunnel is not cleaned properly, the next heavy rain may choke it again. We may be able to open it only on Thursday now,” said a PWD official.