At F'bad, encroachments hinder work on Delhi-Mumbai e-way

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, July 30

With ‘illegal’ structures continuing to pose hurdles in the progress of the 12-lane Delhi-Mumbai Expressway project here, the authorities are yet to provide Right of Way (ROW) of 70m on the Bypass Road here to the NHAI.

The HSVP, working as nodal agency for clearing the land, was required to hand over ROW by December 31 last. But it is yet to clear the encroachments.

“Around 143 illegal structures, mainly commercial buildings, existing on HSVP and Irrigation Department land are to be removed,” revealed sources.

Though a survey has already been done and the matter is in the notice of the higher authorities, action on the ground has come only against the green belt located adjoining the residential sectors and constructions, including petrol pumps and private buildings, continue to exist.

Claiming that while ROW of the passage on the western side of the road has already been handed over to the NHAI, Jitender Kumar, Estate Officer, HSVP, said that removal of the encroachments had been on hold in wake of the general order of the court which had stayed such an activity till August 31 in view of the Covid pandemic.

He said action was possible only after the removal of the stay though notices have been served to all such constructions.

As many as eight petrol and CNG pumps are among the constructions that need to be removed for the ROW, claim sources.

The authorities concerned have been able to start work on one of the patches out of the total three parts of the 59 km-long route passing from Faridabad and Palwal so far.

Around 10 per cent of the civil work is claimed to have been achieved and the patch where the work has been on is located between Kailgaon and Mindkola village of Palwal.

Starting from Ring Road-DND junction in New Delhi, the road will pass through the Kalindi and Faridabad-Ballabgarh bypass to culminate at the interchange of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway near Mindkola village. The foundation of the Rs 3,580 crore project was laid on March 1, 2019.