The Delhi Government has formed a standard operating procedure (SOP) under which any private or public agency that digs roads for any business purpose must restore the road in a specific time span.
Raising concerns about roads left in ruins for months after digging and haphazard land filling, the Government and Delhi lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal held a meeting in this regard. “To address this issue, an SOP was proposed under which any agency that takes up any such activity in Delhi will have to follow the guidelines,” a senior Delhi Government official told The Pioneer.
He said digging permission is sought by different bodies like the electricity companies, MTNl, Delhi Jal Board, Indraprastha Gas limited to lay wires and pipes. There should be coordination between the digging agency and maintenance agency like PWD or municipal corporations, said the official.
“There are regulations under which no Government agency or any other road maintenance agency can refuse permission to any such body or agency from digging the road for public work or business. In some cases, some of such agencies have gone ahead to dig the road without taking the permission from anyone,” the official added.
As per the SOP, which would be implemented shortly, “Agencies taking permission for the digging of road would have to complete the work in the given time span, failing which they would be penalised.”
The Government has also opened a window on its official website for agencies to seek permission online. “For the public who are often confused about the condition of the roads in their areas, the entire information would be made public on the website. The people would clearly know which agency has taken up the digging of a particular road and in what time span they are supposed to complete and cover it. There will be clarity about the agency that is violating the SOP.”