Ghaziabad: ₹32 cr sanctioned for Delhi-Saharanpur Road repair; drainage project lags behind

The road stretch within Loni begins at the Shiv Vihar Metro station and goes up to Tronica City, connecting the densely populated town with Delhi and districts such as Baghpat in western UP

Ghaziabad: In a boost for commuters and residents in Ghaziabad’s Loni, the state government has sanctioned ₹32 crore funds to strengthen and repair the 7km stretch of the four-lane Delhi-Saharanpur Road, said Uttar Pradesh Public Works Department (UP-PWD) officials on Wednesday.

Residents said that the road was repaired at a cost of ₹17 crore in 2019-2020, but the absence of drainage deteriorated it. (HT Archive)

The road stretch within Loni begins at the Shiv Vihar Metro station and goes up to Tronica City, connecting the densely populated town with Delhi and districts such as Baghpat in western Uttar Pradesh. Over the years, the road has crumbled in patches and was the worst-affected stretch during the monsoon earlier this year.

“The state government has sanctioned ₹32 crore… We have floated tenders, and work is likely to start in January 2026. It will take us about six to seven months to get the work completed. However, construction of drainage alongside the road is a must; otherwise, the waterlogging will again deteriorate the road,” said Manish Verma, superintending engineer of the PWD.

HT on September 7 carried a story about commuters’ plight and conditions prevailing at the Delhi-Saharanpur Road.

Residents said that the road was repaired at a cost of ₹17 crore in 2019-2020, but the absence of drainage deteriorated it.

“It has been almost 7-8 years that the road has been in a bad state. Even if the road is strengthened, we suspect that the absence of drainage will again affect it badly, especially in monsoon. The previous road repair also went in vain. The authorities must ensure that drainage alongside the road is built simultaneously with the road repair project; otherwise, the recent funds may also go to waste,” said Vikas Garg, a resident of Balram Nagar.

Loni Nagar Palika officials said that a drainage project is under preparation by the Construction and Design Services (C&DS)—a unit of Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam.

C&DS officials, however, said it is unlikely that the drainage project will commence simultaneously with the road repair project.

“A detailed project report (DPR) is currently under preparation for construction of a 3-metre wide drain (on each side of the road) for about 10kms length. It will be a storm water drain. Once the DPR is ready in another month, it will be sent for government approval. Thereafter, it will take about 12-18 months to complete the project. As per rough estimates, the project may cost about ₹100 crore. Further, there are encroachments on roadsides which needs to be firs removed to begin the drainage project,” said an officer from C&DS urging anonymity.

Loni MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar said his meetings with the chief minister and also officials in Lucknow helped expedite the road repair project. “The approved fund will bring major relief to commuters, including those traveling long-distance. We will also make efforts to expedite the drainage project. The crumbled Delhi-Saharanpur Road is also a major source of pollution. The projects will bring major relief.”

“ ₹32 crore has been sanctioned, and it will bring major relief to commuters, including those traveling long-distance. We will also make efforts to expedite the drainage project. The crumbled Delhi-Saharanpur Road is also a major source of pollution. The projects will bring major relief,” Gurjar added.