PWD to redevelop bridges across key Najafgarh drain

The infrastructure arm of the Delhi government has invited bids for the ₹9.7 crore project that is expected to be undertaken over the next eight months

To improve connectivity between Delhi University’s North Campus region and colonies located on the other end of the Najafgarh drain, the Public Works Department (PWD) plans to take up a bridge repair and redevelopment project for 10 bridges between Timarpur and Bharat Nagar.

According to PWD officials, the bridges across the Najafgarh drain are old and are in need of urgent repair.

The infrastructure arm of the Delhi government has invited bids for the ₹9.7 crore project that is expected to be undertaken over the next eight months, a senior PWD official said. According to officials of the department, these bridges are old and in need of urgent repair. Two of these bridges are located along Timarpur where the Najafgarh drain flows into the Yamuna, one on Mall Road, two bridges along Maurice Nagar, one along Vijay Nagar, two around GT Road crossing near Shakti Nagar and two along the Bharat Nagar. “The bridges are located along the 6-km stretch of the Najafgarh drain starting from Shastri Nagar and ending at Timarpur just ahead of Sur ghat. The repair and widening of these bridges will help the residents living in the surrounding neighbourhoods,” a senior PWD official said.

The department also plans to dismantle existing expansion joints and replace them with new strip-seal joints. Expansion joints between concrete deck slabs are provided for thermal expansion and contraction of the decks as well for accommodating movements due to traffic on the bridge.

A second PWD official said that the repair work is expected to take around eight months as the department will have to make arrangements for the diversion of water around the piers and concrete structures under the water surface by installing sand bags and constantly pumping out excess water. Out of the ten crossings, four bridges carry large volumes of traffic at Mall road crossing, GT karnal road crossing, Swami Narayan Marg and Vijay Nagar marg. “Most of the bridges on Najafgarh drain are 20 to 30 years old and they face structural wear and tear during the monsoon season when the water levels rise,” the official added. The same stretch is also witnessing largescale clean up works under the Yamuna cleaning project along with beautification work of banks and bridges along its pathway.

The Najafgarh drain, also formerly referred to as Sahibi river, starts from Rajasthan and flows straight into the Yamuna via Najafgarh. The waterbody is also at the centre of government’s plan to decongest the west Delhi belt. Last November, the Delhi government said that it intends to develop a 27km road between Chhawla and Basai Darapur along the drain at a cost of ₹350 crore.

Even though the project is in the nascent planning stages, the road is expected to benefit residents of hundreds of colonies including Punjabi Bagh, Paschim Vihar, Nilothi, Baprola, Kakrola, Najafgarh, Dwarka, Vikaspuri, Uttam Nagar, Janakpuri, Chhawla. The proposed 27km road is proposed to be linked to the Inner Ring Road at Basaidarapur, Outer Ring Road at Keshavpur, Pankha Road at Vikaspuri, Najafgarh Road at Kakrola, Dwarka Expressway and several important roads leading to the airport. The project to build a corridor along the Najafgarh drain was also floated in 2012 during the Congress government but it had been met with resistance from environmentalists.