Caught between agencies, hazardous bottleneck awaits repairs since 2018

New Delhi: The flyover was built to decongest the busy east Delhi intersection at Nathu Colony and provide a way to cross the railway track there. But the facility constructed in 2011 by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) has become a big inconvenience for local residents.DTTDC built the flyover, also referred to as a ‘railway overbridge' by the govt agencies, on Road No 68 between Rohtas Nagar and Seemapuri and handed it to the Public Works Department for maintenance. The decongestion plan also included a railway underpass, which was completed in 2016 and similarly put on PWD's slate.According to Jitendra Mahajan, BJP MLA from Rohtas Nagar, "Within six months of opening, the slabs of the flyover started cracking and falling. The underpass too began deteriorating. PWD handed back the flyover and underpass to DTTDC." Mahajan recently filed a public interest litigation demanding action against officials and the company responsible for the problems with the two facilities. Deeming the flyover dangerous, height barriers were erected on the carriageways of the flyover in 2018 to restrict the movement of heavy vehicles on it."In the past few years, several slabs under the flyover have fallen. Some temporary repairs were carried out, but the purpose of the flyover was defeated," reported Vikas Bhardwaj, general secretary of the traders' association of Adarsh Market on Road No 68. "Since the installation of the height barriers, emergency vehicles like fire tenders and big ambulances have to drive an extra 5km to Wazirabad and then return to Road No 68. Also, since no buses can drive on the route, the travel time for the public has increased."Local resident Ved Prakash Sharma added, "The school buses take almost an hour longer than smaller vehicles because of the flyover restriction. We demand that the authorities decide quickly whether to repair the flyover or demolish it. It is an important flyover because it connects us to major commercial roads and residential colonies like Ramnagar, Ashok Nagar, Durgapuri and Babarpur."According to the PIL, PWD noticed cracks in some panels of the flyover and repaired 11 panels in 2019. A consultant was then hired to conduct a structural health investigation of the structure, who reported that 10 panels needed to be replaced and 22 needed repairs. This work is yet to be carried out. Also, the portion of the flyover above the railway track is weak, and some repairs have been done in the past.Height barriers were also installed on the underpass due to the low height of the structure, but they have been broken down. The underpass becomes waterlogged after rains.Two consultants have been appointed in the last five years to identify the deficiencies of the flyover, but to date, no repair and revamp of the flyover and rail underpass have been initiated. While there was no response from Delhi govt or DTTDC on the matter, the latter had said earlier that after receiving a complaint about the flyover on Road No 68 in Nathu Colony that "action is underway to check the deficiencies". It had added, "After the final report is received, the repair work will start, and efforts will be made to finish this as soon as possible."