BJP in control of corporations,not its projects: FOB ends in middle of road

A foot overbridge (FOB) that has come up in the vicinity of the flyover ends in the middle of the busy road.

While the FOB has come up in the last two-months,the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) had announced in January of a plan to construct a subway at the same spot,connecting the Dabri Mor Metro station on the upcoming Janakpuri West-Botanical Garden corridor.

The MCD,which is responsible for the flyover project,cited multiple reasons for the delay,including land issues with the DDA. The municipal agency was also responsible for covering a long drain that ran parallel to Pankha Road,so as to widen the busy road.

Engineers at South corporation say they have done their job on the FOB and have followed the original drawings and designs of the project. “The scope of work has been achieved,” an engineer claimed. He,however,did not agree that the foot overbridge ends in the middle of a busy road.

“Traffic will be allowed to move only under the FoB. We have barricaded it for now because work is still on,” the engineer said.

Contrary to claims,there are no barricades on the ground. Effectively,if the FOB is opened for use,pedestrians will end up getting off in the middle of a busy road with nowhere to go.

Since its conception in 2009,the Pankha Road project has been a prime example of poor planning and bad management. With no traffic signal on the one km-long stretch to help pedestrians cross the road,many dodge moving traffic to go to the other side. The road is also riddled with potholes.

The South corporation had aimed for a Diwali inauguration last year,but failed to keep its promise. A portion of the flyover was opened earlier this year. The clover leaf portion of the flyover is still stuck.

“Land issues have delayed the project. A major area falling under the project has been given away as plots by the DDA. The DDA comes under the Central government,” an official said.

South Corporation’s director for information Mukesh Yadav said the project was ready and trials would commence soon. “It will be opened once the elections are over,” he said.