Delhi: Ashram underpass mess to extend beyond November

The 750-metre underpass, which has missed four deadlines since the work began on the project in 2019, connects Nizamuddin railway bridge and CSIR Apartments at the Ashram intersection.

Relocation of a nearly 7km-long, high-power transmission line is set to hit the administration’s plans to finish the ongoing work on the Ashram Chowk underpass by November-end, officials involved with the project said.

The transmission line runs between Maharani Bagh and AIIMS trauma centre. Arvind Yadav/HT

The transmission line, which is being handled by the Delhi Transco Limited (DTL), runs between Maharani Bagh and the AIIMS trauma centre. A senior DTL official, who asked not to be named, said it is expected to be completed only by November 15, which will impact the entire project.

The 750-metre underpass, which has missed four deadlines since the work began on the project in 2019, connects Nizamuddin railway bridge and CSIR Apartments at the Ashram intersection. However, protracted construction work, poor site management, and haphazard dumping of construction material and debris has ensured years of chaos at one of the busiest traffic intersections in the Capital.

Though the fifth deadline for the completion of the underpass is December 31 — it was set on August 17 — Delhi Public Works Department minister Satyendar Jain on September 17 said the work may be completed by November.

When asked about the relocation of the high-power transmission line, Jain’s office, in a statement on Monday, said necessary directions have been issued to maintain the pace of work as scheduled and concerned officials have been asked to ensure smooth flow of traffic across the stretch.

The senior DTL official quoted above said that the 220KV line originates from the substation near Maharani Bagh, and goes up to AIIMS trauma centre. “Due to high population density in this area, an overhead power supply line cannot be considered. The deadline of November 15, 2021 has been fixed for completing this task,” the official said.

A PWD official overseeing the project confirmed that the digging work around the power line has started. “Most of the civil work for this underpass has been completed from both sides of the approach roads but the pending work of installing the last concrete block now depends on how long does DTL takes to relocate the power line. We will take around one month to complete the remaining work, after the power lines are shifted,” the official said.

Meanwhile, traffic snarls at the key intersection that witnesses movement of over 300,000 vehicles every day continued. The Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory on Saturday, stating that due to underpass construction work only one lane is open for traffic moving from Ashram to Badarpur, and that the commuters should avoid this route.

“Vehicles coming on Ring Road from Sarai Kale Khan, and taking left towards Badarpur are advised to take CV Raman Marg-Mathura Road or Ashram flyover-Capt Gaur Marg- Modi Mill Flyover for Badarpur. Likewise, traffic on Mathura road from Nizammudin seeking to cross Ashram for Badarpur are advised to turn right and take Capt Gaur Marg-Modi Mill flyover for the onward journey,” the Delhi Traffic Police stated in the official statement.

The initial deadline for the Ashram underpass project was December 2020, then it was shifted to April 2021, since most of the work was yet to be completed. That deadline too was, however, missed and the next deadline provided by the government officials was that of June 2021. After this, PWD missed the August 31 deadline too and later said that the work will be completed before the end of the year.

Air pollution ban (starting 2019 September), assembly polls (March 8), pandemic-induced lockdowns (between March 2020 and June 5, 2021), labour shortage and financial crunch have also hit progress of work on the project.

Sewa Ram, professor of transport planning in the School of Planning and Architecture, said the project completion should be top priority as more than 500,000 passengers use the Ashram intersection every day.

“Ideally, such intersections involving arterial roads and national highways should be grade separator interchange points with no restriction in flow of traffic movement. We are already a decade late in the intervention at this intersection. With other projects like Delhi-Meerut highway getting completed, the traffic volume at this intersection was bound to increase. The vehicular flow is coming at higher rate and getting stuck at the Ashram intersection,” he said.

Prof Ram said, “We should also create a plan to facilitate pedestrian movement at this intersection as it will have flyover, underpass, Metro lines and at-surface movement.”