DUAC no to new PWD plan for elevated corridor

NEW DELHI: Despite the public works department (PWD) coming out with new proposals to push the Rs 1,100-crore east-west corridor project, Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) is sticking to its stand that there is no need for an elevated corridor in the capital. Though now the PWD has come up with the plan that the corridor will dedicate a separate elevated road exclusively for high capacity buses, DUAC has reiterated the need to make grade level connection for public transport based system.
DUAC had earlier rejected the plan saying the project was too expensive and that the corridor would eventually encourage cars and thereby deter public transport from taking the proposed elevated stretch.
DUAC chief K T Ravindran said the commission was not impressed with the new PWD proposal. Terming that "flying in the sky'' was useless, he said: "We have suggested a public transport corridor in east-west direction from a different alignment. It should go via Asaf Ali Road, cross the MCD Civic Centre and then go directly to the railway station instead of DDU Marg. This will serve the purpose of people of East Delhi coming to Central Delhi.''
PWD sources said the agency had sent a letter to DUAC and to the ministry of urban development (MoUD) regarding the feasibility of the elevated corridor project that will connect Akshardham temple in east Delhi to Punjabi Bagh in west via New Delhi railway station. However, senior government officials said the concept was still under consideration and they were yet to finalise it.
If all goes according to plan, the elevated stretch will run atop the existing surface road. Sources said Urban Mass Transit Company Ltd, a joint venture of MoUD and IL&FS had been asked to explore the possibility of a dedicated road for public transport on the east-west corridor stretch. Delhi government has been pushing the project as a 2010 Commonwealth Games related project since 2004, but is yet to get the clearance. The first phase of the corridor is 7.9 km long and involves construction of an eight-lane corridor from Akshardham Temple to the New Delhi railway station.