NHAI clears GMDA to resume pipeline work under Dwarka Expressway

Work was halted for two months after a GPR survey found 16 cavities beneath CPR; GMDA must ensure road safety during construction.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Monday said it has granted permission to the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) to lay the master water pipeline under the Dwarka expressway, after the matter was taken up by GMDA chief executive officer PC Meena with the NHAI chairman.

Two 340-metre segments will bridge a missing link near Sector 36, reviving the long-defunct Sector 72 water boosting station. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

NHAI officials said the permission has been granted with strict conditions, including ensuring the safety of the highway during construction. The authority had stopped the pipeline work nearly two months ago after repeated damage was reported on a stretch of the Central Peripheral Road (CPR), which is part of the Dwarka expressway.

A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey conducted by NHAI had identified 16 cavities beneath the road surface at locations where the pipeline had been laid, officials said.

A senior NHAI official aware of the matter said permission had now been restored. “Permission has been granted to GMDA for laying the master pipeline under the Dwarka expressway but with the condition that adequate steps will be taken to ensure that there is no damage to the road surface. The responsibility to ensure that the road surface is safe during construction will be of GMDA,” he said.

GMDA officials said the 1,600 mm master pipeline was originally laid by Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) in 2012 from Chandu Budhera to Dhankot and then along the Dwarka expressway and CPR to Sector 72. However, during realignment of the road by NHAI, the pipeline was relaid except for a 300-metre stretch near CPR in Sector 36 due to land-related issues.

“The underground pipes are being laid to fix this missing link. Around 50% of the work is completed on this project, and we will complete the remaining work in one month. Due to lack of connectivity, the water infrastructure laid from Sector 58 to Sector 80 is lying defunct, including the Sector 72 boosting station. The authority has spent over ₹500 crore on this infrastructure, and it will become functional once the entire pipeline gets connected,” a GMDA official said.

Last week, GMDA CEO PC Meena said the issue was being addressed as a priority. “The laying of this water pipeline is crucial to complete the pipeline network for the supply of water in sectors along SPR,” he said.