Rs 24,000 cr decongestion plan to ease traffic, cut pollution in Delhi: Minister

The government has rolled out an ambitious Rs 24,000-crore decongestion plan for Delhi aimed at easing chronic traffic congestion, reducing vehicular pollution and improving overall urban mobility in the national capital, said Minister of State for Road and Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra on Friday.

Addressing a press conference here, Malhotra said one of the major initiatives under this plan is a five km tunnel from Shiv Murti to Nelson Mandela Marg. At present, it takes around 45-50 minutes to cover this stretch from Gurgaon to Delhi due to heavy congestion near Shiv Murti. Once the tunnel is complete, it is expected to cut travel time on this stretch to just 15 minutes.

Highlighting key infrastructure initiatives, he said several critical road stretches connecting Delhi with neighbouring regions had been taken over by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to ensure faster execution and better traffic management.

The minister said key road stretches, including Ashram to Badarpur, Punjabi Bagh to Tikri Border, and Mehrauli-Gurugram stretch, which had been taken over by the NHAI, will significantly enhance traffic flow. The three stretches - Mathura Road from Ashram to Badarpur Border, Old Delhi-Rohtak Road - Punjabi Bagh to Tikri Border, and Mehrauli-Gurugram Road - Mehrauli to Gurugram city, are the critical links between Delhi and neighbouring areas, the Minister said.

Malhotra said environmental sustainability for Delhi is another priority and cited government commitment towards eliminating the three major landfills at Bhalswa, Ghazipur and Okhla. Legacy and current waste will be segregated for commercial use under the Prime Minister’s Waste to Wealth vision. Inert waste has already been utilised in road construction projects such as UER-II and Dwarka Expressway, demonstrating innovative resource management.

Further, a new water treatment plant in Chandrawal for which approx Rs 380 crore has been allocated will ensure that the vision of “Nal Se Jal” reaches every household in Delhi. The budget allocates Rs 2,700 crore for railway infrastructure in the Capital, Rs 15 crore for natural calamities, approx Rs 1,000 crore for pollution control and Rs 2 crore to support victims of the Anti-Sikh riots, reflecting a compassionate and inclusive governance approach, the minister highlighted.