Govt to develop space beneath Sadar Bazar flyover as a play area

The city agencies have earlier attempted to develop spaces under flyovers as green spaces, landscaped gardens and walkways at locations in south Delhi

The Delhi government is planning to develop a play/sports area in the space underneath the flyover on Old Rohtak Road in the Sadar Bazar constituency in central Delhi, officials aware of the matter said, adding that the government has invited bids to initiate the redevelopment work.

Navi Mumbai, India - June 22, 2023:Sports complex under the Sanpada flyover at Sanpada in Navi Mumbai in Navi Mumbai, India, on Thursday, June 22, 2023. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

The officials said that the scope of work will include the development of a badminton/volleyball court base, LED lights, enclosing the space with nets and beautification through street art and murals.

The city agencies have earlier attempted to develop spaces under flyovers as green spaces, landscaped gardens and walkways at locations in south Delhi including Nehru Place, Munirka, Africa Avenue T-point, and Nizamuddin among others. However, this will be the first such attempt at creating a sports area.

The Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) department floated the tenders on Tuesday and estimates that it will take around two months to clear the site and complete the project. The flyover is located in a heavily congested region of Sadar Bazar — near the Sarai Rohilla railway station, narrow lanes in residential areas, Anand Parbat industrial area and other busy markets. An official said that around ₹20 lakh will be spent to revamp the space.

“The debris dumped under the flyover service lane will be cleared and a plinth will be set up to cater to the play space. The courts will be made of cement with thick synthetic enamel paint. The play area will be surrounded by walkways made of interlocking tiles. We will add a 2.6m high chain link fencing on either side to secure the space,” the official said, asking not to be named.

The I&FC department also plans to cover the existing concrete surface with plaster of Paris and the outer face of the flyover with street art depicting “nature”.

“The space will be accessible at night as four LED floodlights will be set up to cover the entire space,” the official added.

Sadar Bazar MLA from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Som Dutt said that the badminton courts will be developed using MLALAD (Local Area Development) funds and the space will serve as an open space in a congested region while also providing the opportunity for people to remain fit.

“I had seen the concept in Mumbai during a visit and we are trying to replicate the model here. This flyover is located on Old Rohtak Road, while heading from Shastri Park Metro station towards Anand Parbat. A second similar facility has been proposed near Azad Market chowk which will be executed by the Public Works Department. We are trying to maximise the available public spaces in the area,” said Dutt.

Last year, PWD had attempted to set up a sports complex under the Lajpat Nagar flyover as part of the streetscaping and beautification of a 5.5-km-long stretch from Moolchand to Ashram in a bid to keep encroachments at bay. The site was expected to host badminton, table tennis and squash courts under the 2.5-long-km long flyover but the project could not be completed due to financial constraints.

The porta cabin-like structure was finally converted into a store room.

Delhi has more than 100 flyovers and underpasses, and in its Budget 2023, the government proposed to build 26 new flyovers, bridges, and underpasses. Over the last few years, the Capital has been trying to remove squatters and beautify spaces under its many flyovers but squatters have returned within a short time.

Dr S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head of traffic engineering and safety division of Central Road Research Institute said there was a rising trend of reusing the space under the flyovers but agencies must be careful about safety, congestion and the right of way. “These concepts can be tested on new flyovers but for old retrofitting cases, planners must ensure that adequate parking, access lane and safety features are added so that the original purpose of the flyover is not defeated,” he added.