Capital chaos: Construction work slows traffic around CP
24 Aug 2013 11:19 PM GMT
Traffic jams and disruptions have become the norm in some parts of central Delhi, especially in the Connaught Place area. Friday was one such day when commuters faced a major traffic snarl in the area. 'Haphazard construction work has resulted in minor or major work being carried out at almost all entry and exit points to Connaught Place and construction-related equipments and material are strewn all over the place,' said a police official.
'There's also some ongoing construction work on the subway, but mostly traffic disruption is being caused because of the laying of underground cables and pipelines for electricity, telecommunication, fire, water supply and irrigation,' said a traffic official.
'The streets are flooded when it rains and it becomes impossible to drive,' said a commuter.
'Visiting the Connaught Place market in a car during the weekend is impossible. Just negotiating central Delhi roads such as Sansad Marg, Minto Road and Parliament Street easily takes more than an hour during weekends,' said another commuter.
Officials of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) claim that traffic disruptions owing to ongoing construction work in the area are minimal and traffic flow in the marketplace is generally smooth.
The project for renovation and restoration of the central business district of Connaught Place, along with the Delhi Metro construction work, is likely to take time to be completed. The project translates into traffic chaos on the Ring Road, central Delhi and many arterial roads connected to it. There are about 75 lakh vehicles registered in the capital and more than 20 lakh vehicles enter Delhi from neighbouring places daily. There are approximately 5,000 traffic officials deployed to manage the flow of this traffic.
Additional commissioner of police, Delhi traffic, Anil Shukla, however, said, 'We have prepared diversion plans at points around which traffic movement has been affected.' But with traffic snarls worsening with every passing day, on-road management has come under criticism.
'There's also some ongoing construction work on the subway, but mostly traffic disruption is being caused because of the laying of underground cables and pipelines for electricity, telecommunication, fire, water supply and irrigation,' said a traffic official.
'The streets are flooded when it rains and it becomes impossible to drive,' said a commuter.
'Visiting the Connaught Place market in a car during the weekend is impossible. Just negotiating central Delhi roads such as Sansad Marg, Minto Road and Parliament Street easily takes more than an hour during weekends,' said another commuter.
Officials of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) claim that traffic disruptions owing to ongoing construction work in the area are minimal and traffic flow in the marketplace is generally smooth.
The project for renovation and restoration of the central business district of Connaught Place, along with the Delhi Metro construction work, is likely to take time to be completed. The project translates into traffic chaos on the Ring Road, central Delhi and many arterial roads connected to it. There are about 75 lakh vehicles registered in the capital and more than 20 lakh vehicles enter Delhi from neighbouring places daily. There are approximately 5,000 traffic officials deployed to manage the flow of this traffic.
Additional commissioner of police, Delhi traffic, Anil Shukla, however, said, 'We have prepared diversion plans at points around which traffic movement has been affected.' But with traffic snarls worsening with every passing day, on-road management has come under criticism.
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