Persistent waterlogging plagues NH-44 service lanes in Samalkha

Service lanes along NH-44 in Samalkha continue to be plagued by severe water accumulation due to the absence of a proper drainage system, posing a serious problem for commuters and residents for the past five years.

Following a complaint to Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, the Project Director of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has directed the private contractors concerned to take immediate action and submit a detailed report on the matter.

Notably, the NHAI had widened a 70-km stretch from Mukarba Chowk in Delhi to Panipat, but the service lanes in Samalkha have remained neglected. The problem has persisted since the project’s completion.

In his complaint dated July 18, RTI activist and convener of Samalkha Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, PP Kapoor, alleged that no arrangements were made for drainage along the Delhi-Panipat side of the service lane. He claimed rainwater and sewage have been collecting near Geeta Ashram and the Bhapra industrial area, turning the stretch into a “pond.”

“There is no drain or pond here — just accumulated water from the flyover, highway and sewage. The NHAI has failed to provide any mechanism to drain it out,” Kapoor said.

Instead of offering a permanent solution, NHAI blocked the service lane with heavy cement barricades, he added. “They even opened a cut on the flyover after removing grills to provide a makeshift passage for local residents,” he said.

He further alleged that NHAI has been resorting to temporary and superficial measures. “At times, they use water tankers to drain it out, then dig up the road, reconstruct it with concrete, and now they are laying paver tiles. It’s just eyewash,” Kapoor said.

The poor condition of the service lane has also caused several accidents involving e-rickshaws and autos. The lack of a proper drainage system remains the root cause, he asserted.

Responding to the complaint, NHAI’s Project Director JagBhushan confirmed that the two construction companies have been asked to act promptly and submit an action taken report.

He said paver block tiles are currently being laid on the stretch, but work has been halted due to rain. “We also laid a 3-km drainage pipeline along the railway road in Samalkha at a cost of around Rs 10 crore. However, it remains non-functional.”

He said several letters have been sent to the SDM and municipal authorities urging them to connect the pipeline to the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP), but no action has been taken.

“The local administration wants NHAI to extend the pipeline up to the STP. But that falls outside our jurisdiction,” JagBhushan said.