Delay in utility shifting holds up Gurgaon metro work on Hero Honda Chowk link

Gurgaon: Construction on a 2.5km stretch of the new metro corridor between Umang Bhardwaj Chowk and Hero Honda Chowk has stalled due to delay in right of way (RoW) clearance and shifting utilities.The section is undergoing road redevelopment by NHAI, funded by GMDA, and forms part of the metro project's phase 1. A senior GMRL official said work cannot move forward until the land is cleared.
The problem was reviewed in a meeting on Friday involving GMRL, NHAI, and GMDA. GMRL officials said the land needed for construction has not been cleared and asked NHAI to share a firm timeline for RoW clearance and utility relocation so work can begin on the stretch.Multiple underground and overhead utilities, including water pipelines, sewer lines, and power lines, run along the corridor. In addition, a shop, a portion of Himgiri Ashram, and a CNG station fall in the metro corridor's alignment, further constraining space for construction.Metro officials said although metro infrastructure needs a limited working area, the spread of utility networks across the stretch makes relocation necessary before construction can start.An NHAI official said progress depends on Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) shifting power infrastructure before key utility work can proceed."We have an interdependency on DHBVN for shifting of power poles along the stretch, particularly on the left-hand side. Until those poles are relocated, we cannot begin work on the water pipeline. Similarly, the sewer line work on the left-hand side is also held up due to this dependency. Once DHBVN completes its portion and the site is cleared, we will begin water and sewer line works, which we aim to complete within 3 months," the official said.The official added that relocation linked to Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited (HVPNL) substation is underway and will be completed by June."We are also planning to begin demolition of the boundary wall at Himgiri Ashram within the next 10 days," the official said.The delay has created a bottleneck in phase 1 of the 15.3km corridor connecting Millennium City Centre to Sector 9. While pile cap work and other foundational activities are progressing in other sections, the lack of clear RoW in this stretch continues to hold up construction.In August last year, Dilip Buildcon and Ranjit Buildcon were awarded the phase 1 construction contract for Rs 1,277 crore, with a completion timeline of 30 months.