Delay in road transfer to NHAI leaves Palwal-Aligarh stretch in disrepair

Tribune News Service

Palwal, August 28

Commuters on the road connecting Palwal in Haryana to Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh are grappling with persistent poor civic conditions. Despite being upgraded to a national highway (NH) about a year ago, this two-laned road remains narrow and riddled with potholes, causing significant inconvenience to commuters, particularly up to the bridge over the Yamuna.

The 7.5-km stretch, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department (PWD) in Haryana, is yet to be transferred to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) following its designation as NH 334-D last year, according to sources in the district administration.

“The highway has developed potholes and craters in many sections, hindering traffic flow for several months now,” said Lokesh, a local resident. He noted that the damaged road not only impedes vehicle movement, but also poses a serious risk of accidents due to the numerous potholes.

Although the road is supposed to be widened to four lanes in accordance with Union Government standards, no work has commenced, possibly because the road has not been transferred to the NHAI so far. Officials reported that the matter has been raised with the Union Ministry of Transport and Highways, but a response was still awaited.

Mahender Singh Chauhan, another resident, pointed out that while the 10-km stretch on the Haryana side (Palwal district) remains two-laned, the section in Uttar Pradesh has already been expanded to six lanes up to Aligarh. He added that the narrow width of the road, coupled with the absence of a divider, is a major cause of traffic congestion and accidents.

Former MLA Karan Dalal highlighted that the interchange built on this road to provide access to the KGP (Kundli-Ghaziabad-Palwal) Expressway near Pelak village is still not open to traffic, despite being completed a few months ago. Dalal also alleged that Palwal had been neglected in terms of development, with many rural roads in the district in poor condition.

Ritesh Yadav, Executive Engineer at PWD, mentioned that while the section up to the KGP interchange was due to be taken over by the NHAI, the state department conducted patchwork repairs on the road three months ago. He added that the issues of transfer and further repairs have been brought to the attention of the authorities concerned.

Not handed over to NHAI

The 7.5-km stretch, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Public Works Department (PWD) in Haryana, is yet to be transferred to the National Highways Authority of India following its designation as NH 334-D last year.

Repair work overdue

The highway has developed potholes and craters in many sections, hindering traffic flow for several months now. — Lokesh, a resident