New Delhi: The barricades are still there. So are the potholes, scattered signs of unfinished work, and air thick with dust.
Seven months after a 25-year-old biker fell into an open construction pit and died on Prof Joginder Singh Marg in Janakpuri, the state of the road seems to have changed little. The biker died on Feb 6. On Feb 9, Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory saying excavation work on the stretch being carried out by DJB would require temporary traffic diversions and partial road closures for a week.
As a result of the unfinished work, a portion on one side of the road is still out of bounds to commuters, reducing available space for traffic. The delay in the completion of ongoing work becomes starker when measured against what was originally announced. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Delhi | Silver Rate in Delhi | Bank Holidays in Delhi | Public Holidays in Delhi | Delhi AQI | Weather in Delhi | Petrol Price in Delhi | Diesel Price in Delhi | CNG Price in Delhi | LPG Price in Delhi Stay updated with the latest Delhi news.
Rinku, who works as domestic help in nearby houses, said, “It feels like it will never get back to normal. Paramjeet Singh Sahni, a Janakpuri resident, said, “We use this road every day and end up suffering. Harpreet, who runs a shop nearby, said everyone wants a clean, usable road, able to handle an increased volume of traffic. Traffic sources said advisories are tentative, while work was further delayed after a contractor’s tender was allegedly cancelled.
With its one side still blocked, the other is being used by traffic going to and fro, resulting in chronic snarls and chaos. From a distance, the barricades give the impression that the stretch where danger used to lurk has been cordoned off and work is progressing behind them. Walk closer, and the actual picture is different. Two uprooted trees lie behind the barricades, their trunks and branches left where they presumably fell. The pit dug up by Delhi Jal Board (DJB) in which the biker had fallen has been filled, but the road, whose surface has still not been evened out, remains out of bounds. At one corner behind the barricades, broken toilet seats, wooden planks and other discarded material have been left behind, giving the site the appearance of an informal dumping ground. The problems spill out beyond the barricades. On the open stretch, potholes, loose soil and dust make the daily commute an ordeal. Pedestrians, too, have little respite, with the ongoing work taking away valuable walking space. We don’t even have a proper footpath. Even seven months after the death of the biker, it has not been properly restored. It is full of congestion and dust. It may no longer have an open pit for someone to fall into, but the surrounding stretch still betrays unfinished work and poor upkeep. Shopkeepers are also watching the condition of the road with concern, particularly with the festive season approaching and traffic expected to increase. That one week has stretched into seven months. So, for those using Joginder Singh Marg every day, the barricades have become part of their daily routine and are a reminder of the accident that exposed the stretch’s glaring safety lapses. Neither DJB nor PWD responded to TOI ’s queries on why the road remains unrestored or on the current progress of the work. Download the TOI App.