In a bid to decongest the Outer Ring Road area near Mukarba Chowk, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena has approved the transfer of 1.20 acres of land of Irrigation & Flood Control (I&FC) department on a permanent basis to the Public Works Department (PWD) for the construction of underpass near Mukarba Chowk including construction of approach road from Badli Junction to Haiderpur Metro Station in North Delhi.
The proposal which has been pending since September of the previous year, will directly alleviate traffic congestion in the area, benefiting commuters and residents.
The I&FC Department measured the area based on the markings provided by the PWD, amounting to 4833.75 square meters or 1.20 acres. Currently, at the Mukarba Chowk junction and Haiderpur Metro station, traffic remains heavy throughout the day as the section comes under the Outer Ring Road and on the Delhi-Haryana border, with vehicles from Delhi and nearby areas using the road in large numbers. With the construction of these underpasses, congestion will reduce. It will also facilitate a smooth commute for people travelling to and from Rohini, Wazirabad, Azadpur market and Transport Nagar. Following the LG’s directions in the last meeting of the Task Force to monitor the 77 corridors, the I&FC Department granted permission to commence work at the site in April 2023 after reviewing the alignment and layout plan for the service road submitted by the PWD. The land transfer will be conducted on a permanent basis and has been valued at Rs. 850.26 lakhs as per the revised rate set by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for the allotment of institutional land controlled by the Central Government/GNCTD for non-commercial purposes on a ‘no profit no loss’ basis for the financial year 2020-22.
The PWD had initially requested the permanent transfer of land on September 6, 2022, for the construction of the approach road leading to the underpass from the entry point of the flyover near Mukarba Chowk.
Subsequently, the PWD commenced work at the location in anticipation of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the I&FC Department. However, instead of resolving the matter through coordination, the I&FC Department lodged a police complaint on November 29, 2022, regarding unauthorized construction at the site. It is worth noting that the LG has repeatedly emphasized the importance of seamless inter-departmental coordination and advised officers against working in isolation.
This project falls under the initiative to decongest the 77 identified corridors in the National Capital, which is directly monitored by the Delhi LG. The construction work will be carried out in a manner that does not disrupt or disturb any utility services already present underground from other departments.