NDMC struggle continues with foot overbridges

In 2005,the civic body had decided to build eight FOBs in Lutyens’ Delhi. However,due to technical issues such as lack of space,the number was brought down to just three — African Avenue,Park Street and Mother Teresa Crescent. Though the deadline for the projects was July,not even one has been completed so far. And now,the NDMC has fixed September 10 as the new deadline for the project.

When Newsline visited the FOBs,the civic agency was operating on the electrical work of the structures. “Separate tenders have been given for separate work. Escalators have been put in place. Only the electrical work is left,” said a man working on the Park Street FOB,located just across the road from Talkatora Stadium.

The FOB at Africa Avenue would be the first among the three to be completed. The structure — complete with escalators and built on a budget of Rs 4 crore — looks aesthetically beautiful because the NDMC had the opportunity of experimenting with its looks due to the abundance of space. “The area receives a lot of traffic,and there was a need to build an FOB for safe walking. It will be ready by early September,” said an official.

The FOB at the Mother Teresa Crescent and Park Street,which have regular designs,cost around Rs 3.5 crore. An NDMC official said: “The FOB at Mother Teresa Crescent is fitted with escalators,while the one at Park Street has lifts as well as escalators.”

In addition to the FOBs,the NDMC is building an underpass at Shanti Path and subway at Mandir Marg,which are also far from complete.