Plan to decongest Pankha Road in Delhi stuck at planning stage

Pankha Road connects Uttam Nagar (near the bus terminal) and Cariappa Marg (in Delhi Cantt), and is frequently mired by traffic snarls

A proposal to decongest Pankha Road — a key 6km stretch in west Delhi — has remained stuck at the consultancy stage for the past decade, with five tenders for the project eliciting only one bid, a status report filed by the Public Works Department (PWD) has revealed.

Commuting from end to end on Pankha Road can take up to 40 minutes during rush hour. (Biplov Bhuyan/HT PHOTO)

Pankha Road connects Uttam Nagar (near the bus terminal) and Cariappa Marg (in Delhi Cantt), and is frequently mired by traffic snarls — commuting from end to end can take up to 40 minutes during rush hour. “The stretch has multiple residential colonies on one side, and dozens of unauthorised colonies on the other side. Due to this, there is often a traffic jam on this road, especially during the evening peak hours,” a senior PWD official said.

To lighten the traffic load on this stretch, PWD in February 2014 proposed the construction of two flyovers on the road — one between Dabri Circle and Cariappa Marg, and a second flyover from Dabri to Uttam Nagar. This would have made the entire stretch signal free.

However, the department has since then floated five tenders, of which four went unanswered. The fifth tender received a single bid, but is yet to be approved due to “technical requirements”, the PWD report said.

The tendering process is based on competitive bidding from contractors. As per the existing guidelines, single tenders are not acceptable in the first instance — they can be accepted only with detailed justification in support of the acceptance with the approval of higher authority and finance department.

PWD also considered, but ultimately ruled out the possibility to develop an elevated corridor or a tunnel between Najafgarh Road and Dwarka Mor due to the presence of the elevated stretch of the Delhi Metro Blue Line, officials said.“DMRC corridor (Blue Line) has an elevated corridor up to Dwarka Mor which has nine stations. It has commercial and thickly populated areas abutting it. The development of elevated corridor or underground tunnel on Najafgarh road will not practical,” it said in a report.

Till the project comes to fruition, however, commuters are facing the brunt of the daily traffic snarls on this key stretch. Rachit Narula, who regularly travels between Rani Bagh and Delhi Cantonment, said, “There are no traffic constables deployed on this section. It’s becoming hell for residents.”

Janakuri MLA Rajesh Rishi said Pankha Road continues to suffer from congestion. “The stretch faces added congestion due to buses being parked illegally. We need an urgent intervention in the form of an elevated corridor. Even the existing Dabri flyover needs maintenance and sound barriers as it has fallen into disrepair,” he said.

Dr S Velmurugan, chief scientist and head of traffic engineering and safety division at Central Road Research Institute, said, “The planning process should take a few months. 10 years cannot be justified, and the ground situation changes a lot,” he said.