New Delhi
Public Works Department (PWD) has started the geotechnical survey process for a foot overbridge (FOB) in Dhaula Kuan, near the Rajputana Rifles headquarters, officials aware of the matter said on Wednesday.
After conducting a site visit last month, PWD has now approved a budget of ₹2.5 crore for a basic FOB, without a lift, escalator or ramp, they said.
“The technical survey will be started soon and a design consultant will also be appointed to assess the height, alignment and other details. We have also written to the traffic police to assess the ground situation and arrangements so that traffic on the Ring Road is not affected during construction,” a PWD official said.
While the construction of the FOB will take nearly a year, PWD has also made temporary changes at the site to reduce waterlogging during monsoon, as per the court’s orders. Officials said that the drain culvert has been cleaned and the height has been increased with interlocking tiles.
Additionally, a small drain space has been left on one side for excess water to flow out, and speed humps or mounds have been made on both sides to avoid waterlogging inside the culvert. “We have tried to ensure that there is minimum waterlogging and the excess water can drain off quickly. Routine maintenance will also be done,” the official said.
The PWD, Delhi Traffic Police and Delhi Cantonment Board submitted their status reports also to the court on Wednesday.
How FOB came about
On May 26, HT highlighted how soldiers of Rajputana Rifles, the oldest rifle regiment of the Indian Army, located in Delhi Cantonment, negotiate a smelly culvert that overflows during rains on their way to the parade ground due to the absence of a safe crossing. They do this four times a day—twice before breakfast and twice after dusk.
The FOB is crucial, especially with monsoon approaching, as the culvert fills up with rainwater run-off and the trainees of the Rajputana Rifles regiment have to either wade through waist-deep drain water or walk along the road for over 2.5 kilometres to cross the road from one side of the carriageway to the other.
An FOB was approved in 2010 but could not be constructed despite the approval being granted 15 years ago. The project was eventually scrapped until the demand was raised again recently.