PM Modi inaugurates Pragati Maidan tunnel and five underpasses in Delhi

On Sunday, Modi suggested that the tunnel be closed to traffic for four-five hours once a week and instead educational tours be organised for schoolchildren at the site to teach them art, culture and festivals of the country.

The Pragati Maidan tunnel.

Before inaugurating the integrated-transit corridor, the prime minister inspected the six-lane tunnel between NSIC Purana Quila Road and Pragati Power Station.

“I want to congratulate all the people of Delhi, Ghaziabad, Noida and all others from across the country who travel to Delhi. Today, Delhi has got a beautiful gift of modern infrastructure from the Central Government… Constructing such a marvellous tunnel in such short period despite facing several hiccups like Covid lockdown and labour crunch is not an easy thing. The tunnel passes beneath seven railway tracks and the stretch around Pragati Maidan sees heavy traffic but despite all of that, the engineers completed the project on time,” said Modi while addressing the media and officials at Pragati Maidan.

He said, “Decades ago, the Pragati Maidan was built to showcase India’s progress, products manufactured in India, handicrafts and culture of our country…”

The PM added that the Pragati Maidan Corridor will provide major relief to commuters travelling from Noida, Ghaziabad and people of Delhi and the Centre’s main aim behind developing the infrastructure was to provide ease of living to people.

“To develop and modernise Delhi, the Central Government is relentlessly working on the state-of-art facilities, exhibition halls to organise world-class events. A convention centre is also being constructed in Dwarka,” he said.

During his visit to the tunnel, the PM took a walk to take stock of the artwork and paintings on the walls of the tunnel and also picked litter from the road, setting an example of Swachh Bharat.

“I first took a ride in jeep but after travelling for about 5-10 minutes, I stepped out the vehicle as I could not stop myself from the mesmerizing beauty of the art. I walked for 10-15 minutes and enjoyed the artwork which depicts the culture, festival and six seasons of India,” said the PM.

“I have a suggestion to the officials to close the Pragati Maidan tunnel for four-six hours every Sunday for vehicles and organise tour and visits for schoolchildren as the traffic movement is less on holiday and it can be a wonderful opportunity for children and public to explore art and learn about our culture. The tunnel should be treated as art gallery,” said Modi.

He also asked the external affairs ministry to arrange a visit to the site for all diplomats and foreign ambassadors to India. Notably, the paintings, murals and art works on the six-lane tunnel showcase Indian culture, birds and six seasons in different parts of the country. It is reportedly the longest mural work in the world.

Modi further said that the Pragati Maidan tunnel and the six underpasses will ease traffic for lakhs of commuters and help save 55 lakh litre petrol on a daily basis.

“Whenever there was an event in central and New Delhi around ITO, I use to tell the SPG and security persons to please escort me at 5am before the peak hour traffic so the commuters don’t face problems amid the heavy traffic jams around ITO and Pragati Maidan. But now the tunnel will provide a smooth and seamless connectivity to people. It will save 55 lakh liters of petrol per day and save pollution… making India green, clean and sustainable is our goal,” he said.

Further, hinting at the ongoing protests, he said it was the country’s misfortune that many good works and policies get stuck owing to partisan politics.

“Humare desh ka durbhagya hai ki bahut si achi chizen, ache uddheshya se ki gayi chizen, rajneeti ke rang mai fans jati hai,” he added.

The 1.3-km-long Pragati Maidan tunnel will have six lanes, with a three-lane carriageway on both sides. It connects Ring Road with India Gate via Purana Qila Road passing through Pragati Maidan. It will also provide direct connectivity to the huge basement parking of Pragati Maidan.

The tunnel will provide a hassle-free commute for people travelling between east, southeast and central Delhi and the traffic at Pragati Maidan, ITO junction, India Gate and the Supreme Court will also become smooth.

Besides, the tunnel is fully digitally controlled with two control rooms at the entry and exit to monitor traffic through CCTVs. Further, the five uderpasses on the Mathura Road will create a signal-free stretch between Pragati Maidan and Sunder Nursery.

The sixth underpass on the Ring Road that will go beneath the railway line and connect to Bhairon Marg is yet to be completed, officials said. They added that it will take another six months to complete the underpass.