GMDA to re-examine link road project to minimise environmental impact on bio park

Presiding over the seventh authority meeting of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) on Tuesday, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar considered

Presiding over the seventh authority meeting of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) on Tuesday, chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar considered reservations raised by citizens with regard to the construction of twin link roads between Nelson Mandela Marg in Delhi and MG Road in Gurugram via Aravalli Biodiversity Park.

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This project, news of which first came to light in October 2018, had elicited concern from environmentalists as it would have subsumed at least a third of the Aravalli Biodiversity Park in Nathupur.

However, GMDA officials on Tuesday clarified that these concerns, which were once again raised by its resident advisory council in November, are under consideration, and that the project will be “re-examined” to mitigate environmental harm to the park. In a release issued to the press following Tuesday’s meeting, the GMDA stated that it was “exploring the possibility of taking out an underground road without damaging the greenery and environment.”

With these concerns taken into cognisance, Khattar on Tuesday approved the revised draft of the Comprehensive Mobility Management Plan (CMMP) for Gururgam, which was opened to public consultation in October this year. The draft plan, which has been steered by the Delhi School of Planning and Architecture, includes proposals for augmenting road networks, mass transit facilities and pedestrian infrastructure in Gurugram — in the form of walkways and cycle tracks — keeping in mind projected population growth till the year 2041.

“Now that CMPs for both Gurugram and Faridabad are in place, we can submit our detailed project report (DPR) for the metro expansion in the region to the Centre,” said VS Kundu, CEO, GMDA, speaking to HT after the meeting. Meanwhile, a draft DPR of the metro connectivity from Rezangla Chowk to Sector-21, Dwarka is also pending with the Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Limited (HMRTC), he clarified.

While Kundu did not directly address the issue of building roads through the biodiversity park, the relevant section in the GMDA meeting’s agenda (a copy of which is with Hindustan Times), states, “The revised CMMP was again presented to the GMDA’s resident advisory council on November 5. The RAC (residents’ advisory council) has agreed with the proposed CMMP. However, RAC has recommended to re-examine the need for the proposed Outer Ring Road from NH 48 to Gurugram-Mehrauli Road passing through the Aravali Biodiversity Park due to its environmental impact. This link is a part of the proposed Outer Ring Road in the CMMP. However environmental impact assessment of the proposal including mitigation measures will have to be undertaken before execution.”

Hospital and medical college in Kherki Majra village

In another significant development, the chief minister also approved a revised detailed project report (DPR) for an upcoming hospital and medical college in Kherki Majra village, Gurugram. With the district’s only other publicly funded hospital, Civil Hospital in Sector 10, stretched to capacity, officials said the district is in dire need of augmenting public health facilities — a situation that has only become more pronounced amid the ongoing outbreak of Covid-19. Earlier limited to a capacity of 650 hospital beds, 30 trauma beds and 150 teaching seats, the upcoming Sheetla Mata Hospital and Medical College will now house 950 beds, 100 trauma beds and 250 teaching seats, officials confirmed.

VS Kundu, CEO, GMDA, said, “Though the DPR had been prepared earlier this year, an expert committee comprising officials from PGIMS Rohtak, ministry of health, and representatives from the private sector have reviewed it and suggested some upgrades to the hospital infrastructure. As such, the earlier budget of ₹679 crore has been augmented to ₹981 crore.” Of this, 50 percent will be provided by the GMDA while the rest if to be borne by the MCG and the Sheetla Mata Shrine Board. A draft of the detailed notice inviting tender (DNIT) for this project, Kundu confirmed, has been prepared. “The DNIT will be floated soon so that construction work can proceed,” he said.

Four new bus routes in Faridabad

In a third significant development, it was also decided on Tuesday that the Gururgam Metropolitan City Bus Ltd. will, starting next year, operate four intra-city routes in Faridabad with 40 new low-floor buses. A senior official in the GMDA’s mobility department, seeking anonymity, said, “About 46 new buses had been procured for the GMCBL in March, prior to lockdown, while Faridabad was supposed to get its own city bus service under the Smart City mission this year. However, due to post-Covid constraints expansion of the bus network in Gururgam is not an immediate requirement. These buses will be deployed on four routes within Faridabad itself, which are being identified and rationalised by DIMTS.”

It was also revealed during Tuesday’s meeting that the GMDA has so far earned ₹202 crore through its own revenue raising capacity, while its expenditure on public works so far amounts to ₹223 crore, resulting in a net loss of ₹21 crore. At the meeting, principal secretary of the state town and country planning department, AK Singh, said that an amount of ₹100 crore (raised through EDC funds) will be transferred to GMDA. The additional chief Secretary of the finance department, TVSN Prasad, provided assurance that an amount of ₹300 crore will be released to the Town and Country Planning Department early next year. Of this, AK Singh said that ₹150 crore would be made available to the GMDA to continue development works in the city.