A road to Kalindi Kunj that never was
STILL STUCK Since its conception in 2000, the Kalindi Kunj Bypass Road has faced hurdles, be it clearance from the UP govt or the project’s ecological viability
NEW DELHI: Maharani Bagh resident Madhu Raghavendran remembers the day when she first heard the construction of a bypass road in Kalindi Kunj that would connect Delhi, Noida and Faridabad. She remembers that her daughter was only a few days old. Her daughter turned 18 this year, but not a single inch of the 13.7-km road has been built.
Proposed 18 years ago, the Kalindi Kunj bypass road would have solved traffic woes on Mathura Road; it would let commuters bypass the perennially choked Ashram intersection. But today, it remains an idea on paper.
In the first phase of the project, the existing 6.2 km kuccha road on the side of the DND flyway was to be refurbished and expanded. In phase-2, the remaining around 7.2km stretch between DND and Kalindi Kunj will be constructed.
PWD officials, who are working on the project, said they are awaiting an approval from the Uttar Pradesh government to acquire land for the road. “We have received an in-principle approval for the project by the UP irrigation department, after showing a 3D design of the project. They have asked for a no objection certificate (NOC) from the UP government before construction can be started,” a senior PWD official familiar with the project said.
According to PWD officials, commuters from east Delhi, south Delhi and Noida going towards Faridabad will be able to avoid Ashram completely once the bypass is in place. People will also be able to go up to Palwal, as Haryana has already constructed the portion of the road connecting Faridabad and Palwal.
BACK-TO-BACK HURDLES
Since its conception in 2000, nothing has worked in favour of this project. Initially, the work for the road began in 2002, but construction faced major hurdles because of the alignment of the road. The first plan had proposed that the bypass would cross through the Okhla Bird Sanctuary, but that would have disturbed the ecology of the area.
PWD started the work on the project in 2003, but whatever little digging had hap- pened, had to be halted 2007 following the UP government’s objections.
The plan was then reworked. The project is now proposed to cross from above the Agra Canal to reach Kalindi Kunj. For this too, the UP government raised concerns. The matter was resolved after PWD agreed to bear the expenses of any damage caused to the canal and a colony on the banks of the canal.
“The first leg of the bypass will start from the DND flyover and touch down at Kalindi Kunj. Here, the existing road that joins Badarpur flyover will be widened. Once at the Badarpur flyover, commuters will have a signal-free access to Faridabad,” the PWD official said.
Once the project is completed, the travel time to Faridabad will be reduced by at least 30 minutes, according to the project plan.
A VITAL CONNECTION
Delhi Traffic Police estimates show that around 3 lakh vehicles cross the Ashram intersection during the peak traffic hours of morning and evening every day. Though a portion of traffic disperses here, a considerable portion continues on the Mathura Road, making it one of the most traffic-heavy roads in the city.
Since it is a major connecting link between east Delhi, south Delhi, Noida and Faridabad, a bypass will also come as a huge relief for easing the traffic burden on Mathura Road. “People using the Ring Road will be able to take this elevated section after Sarai Kale Khan, from the point where DND starts now. People coming from Noida will be able to use this road. Currently, they have to come all the way to Ashram Chowk and use Mathura Road. It will run parallel to Mathura Road up to Jamia Nagar,” the PWD official said.
The bypass will run beside the Yamuna and then pass through UP irrigation colony. It will be aligned away from the bird sanctuary. It will pass through Agra Canal and end at existing Kalindi Kunj-badarpur Road, which is currently under expansion.
“We will link other parts of Noida through an additional bridge on the Yamuna. The UP irrigation department fears it will damage the Agra Canal, but we have assured them we will observe precautions,” the official added.
The estimated cost of the project is ₹1,584 crore, and once the project takes off, it will be completed in two phases. In the first phase, the stretch from Kalindi Kunj to Badarpur flyover will be expanded and then the stretch between DND and Kalindi Kunj will be made.
The approval over land use comes after Delhi chief secretary wrote to his counterpart in UP to resolve the land issue. The issue was discussed in a meeting of the NCR planning board.
Though the recent opening Magenta Line of the Delhi Metro, connecting Janakpuri West-botanical Garden, has eased the commuter woes of residents here to a great extent, the bypass will further solve the issues of last-mile connectivity as well has inter-state travels.
“The project was conceived by the Delhi government in 2000, but it could not be executed due to the issue of transfer of land. Chief secretary-level talks are on and project is likely to see the light finally,” the official said.