18 yrs on, Kalindi bypass a ‘work in progress’

NEW DELHI: The construction of two projects — the Delhi Metro and a bypass road at Kalindi Kunj to connect Delhi, Noida and Faridabad — were announced at around the same time. It was the year 2000.

Since then, the Delhi Metro has built a 277km network across the National Capital Region, and two major road projects have been completed around Kalindi Kunj. But not a brick has been laid at the proposed 13.7km road — even as traffic has multiplied in parts of south Delhi that serve as a thoroughfare for traffic which should have bypassed it years ago.

The Public Works Department (PWD), which is overseeing the project, said it was to begin work two years after the conception of the project, but could not because of the flawed alignment of the proposed road. Initially, the bypass road was to cross from near the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but this would have disturbed the ecology of the green belt. The portion that was supposed to have crossed from near the sanctuary was realigned as an elevated corridor, going above the Agra canal.

In 2003, the department started work by digging and taking measurements, but whatever lit- tle digging was started, stopped in 2007.

“Four years, were wasted in digging and measuring the road. Midway, the alignment had to be changed because of the bird sanctuary,” said a PWD official who asked not to be named.

By then, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had inaugurated its first 22.06-km line between Rithala and Shahdara .