GMDA to restart the work of IFFCO Chowk underpass

Gurugram: The IFFCO Chowk underpass could have proved to be another feather in the cap of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Haryana Government if it was completed on time. Contrary to the expectations host of challenges is resulting in various problems not only for the government agencies but also for lakhs of commuters at the MG road.

Incomplete construction and delay have resulted in weakening the structure of the underpass. In an extreme situation, fears have already been expressed by the engineers that can also lead to caving in of the built structure.

The engineers have submitted their report about the structure getting weakened to the District Administration. The construction of IFFCO Chowk underpass is stopped as the State Government has not been able to acquire the part of the land where there is a petrol pump.

Even as the government offered the alternate site to the owner, the offer was refused. At present, there is a stay order by the Punjab and Haryana High Court that has stopped the construction of the underpass.

In order to expedite resolve the prevailing problem, the officials of Gurugram metropolitan development authority have also stepped in.

Sources indicate that the file of the clearance of petrol pump, which is blocking the path, has been sought by officials to see what are the alternatives to deal with the present challenge.

Besides the legal hurdle of shifting of the petrol pump, the public agencies are also facing challenges in land acquisition from other landowners. In these cases, however, the public officials have expressed assurances that the matter will be resolved.

The problem that has been felt by the agencies as well as the commuters due to the stalled construction of the underpass has gone beyond the traffic jams at the busy MG road.