An ambitious plan by Delhi Government to put all the overhead cables of utilities like discoms and telecom firms into an underground duct to offer a clear view of the vista in Chandni Chowk has hit a roadblock due to the existing water and sewer lines.
The Public Works Department (PWD) officials involved in the project said that they are not being able to implement the project primarily due to haphazard laying of water pipelines by Delhi Jal Board (DJB) in the past.
Problems are being faced in executing the ducting work to make overhead electrical (OHE) cables and transformers underground due to the haphazard manner in which the water and sewer lines are being laid. We have paid Rs50 lakh to Delhi Jal Board for replacing old sewer lines and water lines, which are leaking and thereby hampering the ducting work, said a senior Delhi Government official, adding that money has also been paid to BSES and MTNl for procuring cables and install transformers underground wherever feasible.
Other problems faced by the PWD are existence of heavy traffic, encroachments on roadsides and unauthorised religious structures in the way of Chandni Chowk Road. loading and unloading of goods and parking of vehicles are also creating problems in executing the ducting work, said the official.
The redevelopment of Chandni Chowk will be done in phases and the work that is being carried out is just the beginning of the Phase I.
Once the ducting work gets over, only then the development of the roads, pedestrianisation and operation of trams will be possible to undertake, said the official.
Further on the issue of construction under the Chandni Chowk redevelopment plan, PWD Secretary Arun Baroka said a Feasibility Study for operation of trams on Chandni Chowk Road has been carried out by Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and now PWD has asked them to prepare the detailed project report (DPR), which is likely to be ready by February 2015.