PWD wants section of INA metro station demolished

NEW DELHI: Construction work at the interchange station at INA has led to a dispute between the Public Works Department and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, with the former demanding that a part of the station building be demolished.
PWD officials say the structure — at the intersection of the Chandu Lal Balmiki Road and Aurobindo Road — has encroached upon the arterial road connecting Aurobindo Road with South Extension Part-I and NBCC’s Kidwai Nagar project.The width of the road has been reduced from “60 feet to 15 feet” due to the structure, a PWD official said.
Following an inspection of the road by government officials in the first week of January, PWD has written two letters to DMRC’s managing director Mangu Singh, asking the agency to immediately demolish a part of the structure. In a letter dated January 9, PWD’s chief engineer (south zone) wrote to Singh requesting for immediate removal of the “unauthorised encroachment in the ROW (right of way) of PWD road”.
DMRC sources say the structure is not unauthorised and the road width was reduced because of the Barapullah flyover approach road and the main pier, and due to the relocation of Kashmiri Haat by PWD. All this was done after DMRC’s station plan was approved.
In another letter dated January 12, Sarvagya Srivastava, engineer-in-chief, PWD, wrote: “It was startling to find that the entry gate of the underground metro station is being built covering more than half carriageway of Chandu Lal Balmiki Marg…You are requested to intervene in the matter immediately and ensure that no structure is constructed on the existing carriageway…The construction, which has already been done, should be demolished immediately.”
TOI has copies of both the letters.
While PWD says the station building is an encroachment, DMRC officials claim that all necessary permissions were taken before starting the construction work and PWD was kept in the loop. “All construction done by DMRC at the INA entry exit gate 2 has been done with full authorisation and approval of all authorities concerned, including UTTIPEC, RITES, NBCC, DDA and PWD. The approval for the location of the DMRC structure was given on May 29, 2015, by UTTIPEC,” a DMRC spokesperson said.
PWD officials say the under-construction structure will be a major hindrance to smooth flow of traffic in the area, especially once NBCC’s East Kidwai Nagar redevelopment project is operational. There is hardly any space left for vehicles coming from Aurobindo Marg to turn left on this road. “The traffic volume is going to increase once the NBCC project is operational. This road (where PWD is constructing Barapullah Ph-II) is crucial for smooth movement of traffic,” said an official.
Concerned about the traffic situation, residents of neighbouring areas want LG Anil Baijal to intervene. Manjeet Singh Chugh, executive member of South Extension Part-I RWA, “DMRC has encroached upon almost the entire road leaving just 15ft space. This will further add to the traffic congestion problem. We want LG to intervene in this matter. I have also filed a police complaint about encroachment on public road by DMRC.”
PWD’s Srivastava has also raised this concern in his letter to Singh. LG has already asked PWD and NBCC, which is carrying out many projects along Ring Road, to work out a solution to decongest the area. Srivastava has said that the way the construction has been done will “hamper traffic movement in the area”.