Karnal-Kunjpura road 4-laning may miss second deadline

BOX

The hurdles

*The Public Works Department (Buildings and Roads) is yet to receive no-objection certificate from the Irrigation Department for the construction of a bridge on the augmentation canal

*The department has to make changes in road alignment near Newal village for which the government is yet to provide permission to the department

*A slipway is proposed near ITI Chowk, but the land for it is yet to be transferred by ITI Karnal to the department

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Parveen Arora

Tribune News Service

Karnal, February 27

The four-laning project of Karnal-Kunjpura road may miss its second deadline (March 31) as the work is going on at a snail’s pace.

The Public Works Department (Buildings and Roads) is yet to receive no-objection certificate from the Irrigation Department for the construction of a bridge on the augmentation canal.

As per the plan, the department has to make changes in road alignment near Newal village for which the government is yet to provide permission to the department.

Moreover, a slipway is proposed near ITI Chowk on this road, but the land for it is yet to be transferred by ITI Karnal to the department, said sources in the department.

With the aim to beautify the city along with making roads congestion free, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had announced the widening of all entry roads to the city. The Karnal-Kunjpura road is one of those. It is a major road as the Karnal aviation club is situated on it.

The work of four-laning of a stretch of 7.8 km between Karnal and Kunjpura was started in August 2018. It was to be completed by the end of November 2019.

The project is of around Rs 32 crore, including the construction of bridges and alignment of the road. The width of the road will be increased to 15m from the existing 7m. Apart from a passageway of 3 ft on each side, there will be of a 3m central verge.

Later, the deadline was extended to March 31, 2020 by the government, said sources in the department.

The inconvenience to the commuters can be gauged from the fact that the road has been dug up at several places, disrupting the movement of vehicles. The residents allege that the authorities have put the lives of two-wheeler riders at risk due to lack of signboards there.

“The work is on at very slow pace. The trenches along the road at various places pose serious accident threat in the night as there are very few signs indicating danger,” said Malak Singh, a resident of the city.

Tarun Kumar, another resident, demanded that the government should speed up the work as it is a very important road.

Dalel Singh Dahiya, Executive Engineer (PWD), is hopeful that the work would finish by March-end. “I am hopeful that work will be completed before the March 31 deadline,” he said, adding that the NOC from the Irrigation Department is pending due to their project of increasing the capacity of the augmentation canal. “We are hopeful of getting the NOC from the department as well as permission for change in alignment from the government,” he maintained.