Garden likely under North Delhi flyover

PWD plans to redevelop space under Rani Jhansi flyover in old Delhi, inviting bids for parks development.

The public works department (PWD) plans to redevelop the space under the 1.8 km Rani Jhansi flyover connecting the Tees Hazri complex to Filmistan area and passes through some of the most congested localities of old Delhi, including Barafkhana and Anaj Mandi. The government’s infrastructure arm on February 19 has invited bids for development of the parks under the flyover under a ₹1 crore project and the tendering process is likely to be completed by February 26.

Some stretches under the flyover is encroached upon for illegal parking. (Arvind Yadav/HT photo)

A mini-park, developed by the erstwhile North MCD in 2019, exists under the flyover at present. However, some parts are unpaved and there are also spaces that have been encroached for parking.

A senior PWD official who did not want to be named said that the project is expected to be completed in another three months. “MCD had developed a mini park near the roundabouts of Baraf Khana and vertical gardens towards the Tees Hazari-end. This area will be redeveloped. Some of the spaces are encroached for illegal parking. We will clear the area and turn them into public green spaces. There will be children’s playing areas, which can act as the region’s green lungs, and where people from the neighbouring areas can also get open breathing space,” the official added.

The project report of PWD said that red sandstone, granite will be used for the beautification work, while interlocking tile walkways will be developed along the periphery of the parks.

On Tuesday, HT saw that several stretches under the flyover are being used as illegal parking spaces and to dump garbage, and are also frequented by drug addicts. The space around the Barfkhana Chowk, which was developed by the erstwhile North Delhi Municipal Corporation in 2019, is also damaged and in a state of disrepair. The North MCD had spent around ₹34 lakh for setting up vertical climbers, a children’s park and rainwater harvesting provisions to improve the groundwater levels in the area.

Md Rashid (49), who stays near the DCM Chowk, said that the two decades of construction work has disrupted mobility in the entire area and turning it into a dustbowl. “The development of green spaces is a welcome move, but the agencies should also focus on the maintenance of the flyover that has developed many potholes,” he added.

A PWD official said that the creepers of indigenous varieties will be added along the 34 open pillars. The flyover has designated parking space only near the Bahadurgarh Road and Rani Jhansi Road. “We also plan to put in concertina wires along the periphery of the parks to improve safety level,” the official added.

Infamous for the delays it faced, the flyover was finally opened for traffic in 2018 after almost two decades of construction work. It has brought down the travel time on the stretch from 40 minutes-1 hour to just 15-20 minutes. A 2020 Delhi Technological University (DTU) study found that lakhs of vehicles were using the flyover. According to the DTU study, 23,389 PCUs (passenger car units) are using the DCM Chowk-Filmistan Cinema stretch every hour, while 34,327 vehicles are plying on the Baraf Khana-DCM Chowk stretch and 22,401 vehicles on the St Stephen’s Hospital-Baraf Khana section.