Old Delhi’s woes continue: Now, flooded utility duct holds up revamp

Inordinate delay in Shahjahanabad redevelopment project is leading to ‘extra spending’ and cost escalation, officials have estimated.

Sources said that the duct constructed on the northern carriageway to bury utility cables underground has got inundated with sludge. Delhi’s public works department had spent crores of rupees to construct this tube, which has been lying uncovered since its completion in 2014.

The nodal officer of the project, appointed by the Delhi High Court, has issued directions to the department to look into the matter and submit its report.

A senior official of the Delhi government said that work on the duct had come to a standstill since December 2014. This has allowed the mud to flow into the pipe because it was not covered.

“The area does not have a storm water drain. Rain water flows with the sewage. As the duct was left open after its construction without any provision to prevent it from flooding, mud has slipped into it. The problem of sludge in the already laid duct on the northern side of the road will be resolved by the PWD. This will certainly add to the cost of the project. These are just some of the repercussions caused by the delay,” said the official.

The decision, to create the duct measuring about six feet by six feet, was taken in September 2011 and the government was supposed to begin work on the ground by June 2012. The idea was to improve aesthetic of the Mughal era market, designed by Princess Jahanara, by shifting all overhead service cables underground.

Initially, the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi was to take up the project. However, it was later handed over to the PWD and work finally started in June 2014.

All transformers placed on the surface were also to be relocated beneath the ground. The cost of this part of the project (construction of duct, shifting of utility cables, and putting transformer underground) was estimated at Rs 13.23 crore. The duct on one side of the road was completed. Work on the other side, however, came to a halt with a change of guard in the city government. As a result, the construction of the channel on the southern carriageway could not be started.

“The Shahjahanbad Redevelopment Corporation has set March 20 as deadline for removing encroachment and parking regulation in the area to decongest it. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation has also been asked to allocate sufficient land for relocation of such encroachers behind the Town Hall and to waive licence fee being demanded by the civic body. Earlier, they had sought Rs 2 crore for sparing the land for the purpose,” the official said.