Some hits, MCD aims to make up for misses before August 31

Extensively dug-up stretches, unfinished masonry littered along pavements and construction debris piled across the Capital — at first sight, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi’s (MCD) progress on its Commonwealth Games-related projects appears unsteady.

The civic body, however, is quick at clearing apprehensions — it claims all projects will be wrapped up before the August 31, the deadline given to all civic agencies by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

During an ‘inspection visit’ on Friday of all Games projects undertaken by the MCD, the Corporation’s top brass claimed while most work will be completed July-end, whatever “last minute finishing” is left will be taken care of well before August 31.

The MCD has been entrusted mainly with streetscaping of roads around all Games venues, upgrade of guesthouses and the area around them in Paharganj and Karol Bagh, creating parking facility around Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and upgrade of streetlights and construction of foot overbridges, railway overbridges and railway underbridges.

At present, much infrastructure work in Karol Bagh and Paharganj remains incomplete. Both the areas have been dug up extensively to shift electric cables underground and for streetscaping work, much to the inconvenience of the residents.

To its pleasure, one project that the MCD claims is near complete is the parking facility near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which will have the capacity to accommodate 700 buses that will ferry the athletes during Games.

The civic body has already finished the work of covering the Sunehri, DPS and Khushak drains and the elevated road along the three, which will serve as the parking space, is also complete and ready for use with the exception of “some finishing touches”.

“We have used German technology for this Rs 320 crore project. The parking bay over Khushak is 1-km long and 65 metres wide and it is is a key project as buses ferrying the athletes will come here directly from the Games Village via Barapullah elevated road,” said Ravidass, MCD Engineer-in-Chief.

“We are trying to wrap up as much work possible within the next 15 days. Whatever little finishing or clean up remains after that will also be completed well within the August 31 deadline,” said Delhi Mayor Prithvi Raj Sawhney.

Finished
Parking facility near Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium

Sunehri, DPS and Kushak drains covered. Elevated road along this stretch complete

Streetscaping work around Thyagaraj Stadium

* Streetscaping work at Tamil Sangam Road, at Church Road near RK Khanna Tennis Stadium Beautification of roundabouts at Dayal Chowk in Jhandewalan and at the Ridge Road in Central Delhi

Foot overbridge at Bhishma Pitamah Marg