Rajputana Rifles in Delhi Cantt may have to wait longer for an FOB

On May 26, HT highlighted how thousands of soldiers of the Rajputana Rifles, the oldest rifle regiment of the Indian Army, located in Delhi Cantonment, negotiate a smelly culvert that overflows during rains

New Delhi

The situation worsens in the monsoon, as the culvert gets flooded and the personnel of the regiment have to either wade through waist-deep drain water or walk two-and-a-half kilometres to cross from one side of the carriageway to the other. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

The personnel of Rajputana Rifles may have to wait longer for a foot overbridge to commute to their parade ground, given that there is no clear timeline for construction and the issue is unlikely to be resolved this monsoon, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.

On May 26, HT highlighted how thousands of soldiers of the Rajputana Rifles, the oldest rifle regiment of the Indian Army, located in Delhi Cantonment, negotiate a smelly culvert that overflows during rains on their way to the parade ground due to the absence of a safe crossing. They do this four times a day—twice before breakfast and twice after dusk—even as the Delhi government has failed to build a foot overbridge despite multiple requests over the past decade.

The situation worsens in the monsoon, as the culvert gets flooded and the personnel of the regiment have to either wade through waist-deep drain water or walk two-and-a-half kilometres to cross from one side of the carriageway to the other. Following an HT report, the Delhi High Court took suo motu cognisance and asked agencies to ensure its construction.

After PWD informed the court that the FOB would take at least a year, the court suggested that a Bailey’s Bridge be made for temporary relief. A meeting in this regard was held last week, and a site visit was conducted on Tuesday by multiple agencies to decide on the details. “The location for the FOB was finalised earlier, and three locations were decided for the Bailey’s bridge. However, no timeline has been finalised as of now. Meanwhile, the shifting of utilities was discussed with IGL, discom and other agencies. Delhi Metro officials were also present at the site visit, but they have already given an NOC,” an official said, on the condition of anonymity.

After the site visit, the teams decided that the construction of a permanent FOB will start in September and will take at least a year.

Meanwhile, the PWD has made temporary changes at the site in an attempt to reduce waterlogging, as per the court orders. Officials said that the drain culvert has been cleaned and the height has been increased with interlocking tiles. Additionally, a small drain space has been left on one side for excess water to flow out, and speed humps or mounds have been made on both sides to avoid waterlogging inside the culvert.

However, activists who raised the issue said that the effort has only added to the problems. “This is a drain culvert. It will get inundated by design. After the repair work, the surface height has increased and has reduced the space inside further, and people have to bend and walk now. The only solution is an alternate route,” said Paras Tyagi, founder and president of the Centre for Youth Culture Law and Environment.