Ghaziabad: Government gives ₹32 crore in-principle approval for repair of Loni’s Delhi-Saharanpur Road

Residents complained that the road, which was already dilapidated, has developed craters and worsened following monsoon.

Ghaziabad

The Delhi-Saharanpur Road passing through Loni crumbles during the monsoon season in Ghaziabad (Sakib Ali /HT)

The state government has given an in-principle approval to repair and strengthen around eight kilometres of the Delhi-Saharanpur Road, which passes through Ghaziabad’s Loni, at a cost of ₹32 crore, officials of the Public Works Department (PWD) said on Friday.

The stretch in Loni is located between the Shiv Vihar Metro station and Tronica City, connecting the densely populated town with Delhi and nearby Baghpat, besides other parts of western Uttar Pradesh.

“The government has given an in-principle approval for road strengthening and repair project, costing about ₹32 crore. A state-level committee approved the financials for the project. We are expecting a final government order soon. Once it is received, we will float tenders, and award work. We have already prepared the tender documents. It will take about six months to be completed,” said Manish Verma, superintending engineer of PWD.

Officials of the PWD said that the road is presently under the category of “other district road” and was previously NH-709b.

On September 7, HT reported on the plight of commuters due to the condition of the Delhi-Saharanpur Road.

“It has left behind big craters and is still risky for vehicles. These have now been filled up by agencies with debris and earth. After drying up, it is now causing heavy pollution. Even if the road gets repaired fully, rains will again damage it, as there is hardly any drainage system in place. So, it is vital that a proper drainage system is also provided,” said Vikas Garg, a resident of Balram Nagar.

PWD officials said that a survey is being taken up by UP Jal Nigam to assess drainage needs along the stretch.

“The survey by UP Jal Nigam is almost complete, and drainage works will also be taken up by the Construction and Design Services (a unit of UP Jal Nigam) as a separate project. Once the drainage project gets underway, it will reduce the possibility of road damage in monsoon. Further, the reconstructed road and drainage will also help abate pollution in Loni. At present, this bad road is a major pollution source and also a problematic entry route to the state from Delhi,” said Nand Kishor Gurjar, Loni MLA.

The MLA said that he also allocated about ₹30 lakh from the MLA-LAD funds to fill up craters on the Delhi-Saharanpur Road.