[dr.aviansh]

Today, on 18th July 2020, New Delhi experienced a heavy rainfall since early morning. The outcome was water clogged roads and traffic jams. What is more surprising is this pic :


This is from under the Minto Bridge, the very famous Minto Road that connects Connaught Place to ITO. After the rainfall, water got clogged and only the roof of a DTC bus could be seen. Smaller Auto’s, Rickshaws have submerged. The localites were able to rescue everyone who was stuck, except for an unlucky tempo driver. His dead body was recovered and has been identified as Kundan Singh. This clearly shows the lethargic work being carried over by PWD for the cleaning of the drainage system.

Getting curious, I searched the internet a bit and found out a year old news, NOT A SINGLE new Flyover has been constructed in these 6 years.


To my utter shock, that a city which heavily depends upon the construction of flyovers to negate the ever increasing traffic has been managing without the construction of new ones for more than 6 years now and the situation would only get worse if this doesn’t change.

I see no progress in the road infrastructure in the previous decade. The Signature Bridge, RTR flyover, Barrapulla Flyover all were approved around 2010.

Delhiites were once proud of the city’s road infrastructure and I used to boast about it when I briefly moved out to Bhopal for my MBBS.

From when I was a kid in the 90’s to my 20’s in the last decade, the average time taken to reach West Delhi from South Delhi had been persistent to about 40-45 minutes owing to regular construction of new flyovers and widening of roads in that 20 km route that could keep up with the increasing traffic. But since the last couple of years, the average time taken has gone upto 60 to 75 mins.

If newer flyovers are not constructed and older roads are not resurfaced and widened, we too will start having huge traffic jams like Bangalore and Mumbai.

[Raghav96]

Originally Posted by dr.aviansh

If newer flyovers are not constructed and older roads are not resurfaced and widened, we too will start having huge traffic jams like Bangalore and Mumbai.

I dont have a solution for the traffic problem(metro is being used to its maximum limit i guess) but one thing I am sure is that no amount of construction of flyovers, road widening et al can keep up with the ever increasing traffic.

P.S: Sad to hear about the departed soul but in the pic, the water level is just 5-6ft below the bridge then why tempo driver and the bus driver tried to cross the under pass?

[BoneCollector]

Just a reference to the snap of Minto bridge posted in the OP.

Minto Bridge in 2020.


Minto Bridge in 2018.


Minto Bridge 27 years back.

Source - Link

[Amrik Singh]

Knowing the geographical status and importance of Minto Bridge, please understand that nothing can be done to it except a good Pumping Station to drain out water to a place from where it does not return to the same place.
Pictures may be available for past years, but the conditions have been the same for decades.

[Turbanator]

Some good work has been done around Dhaula Kuan / Delhi cantt area. It was done pretty quickly as well. One overhead on the outer ring road near Rao Tula marg is also completed. An extension of Baba Banda Singh bridge is also going on though slow.

Previous CM did a lot of bridges though. Maybe there are only few requirements now.

[Eddy]

When was the entire Outer Ring Road stretch from Janak Puri District center to Karnal bypass done? Is it six years already?

[Turbanator]

Originally Posted by Eddy

When was the entire Outer Ring Road stretch from Janak Puri District center to Karnal bypass done? Is it six years already?

Yes, this was legacy of old government, though formally inaugurated by present day government.

[Raghu M]

Personally, I think the entire situation is the result of rampant urbanization and blatant abuse of the existing norms/policies that are required for setting up new buildings/roads. We have similar problems in Hyd, just a few minutes of heavy downpour and all roads are inundated.

The bigger problem here is, all the small trickles and flow of water that move towards a lake/low lying areas are blocked because of the concrete structures/roads. Once their flow is blocked which is all but natural, water gets accumulated in one place and stays there. I think more than the construction of flyovers or roads being widened, the larger problem here is people not being accommodating to nature. Thanks to Covid, traffic in Hyd has largely eased but one downpour and you still see water logging in most of the areas.

[Amrik Singh]

Originally Posted by Raghu M

Personally, I think the entire situation is the result of rampant urbanization and blatant abuse of the existing norms/policies that are required for setting up new buildings/roads.

Wide roads and paved streets do give a neat look to the city but it leads to the open lands getting a Cover of concrete. This reduces the area of soil to absorb the rain water. Cutting away of forests removes foliage that helps retaining water for the ground to absorb it. All these directs the water to the lakes, nullahs and rivers whose basins are too saturated for taking in more water rapidly. Lastly, it is failure of authorities to assess the situation and find a long term solution.

[Col Mehta]

Getting curious, I searched the internet a bit and found out a year old news, which mentions of an RTI that was filed by a certain political party’s spokesperson, stating that ever since the existing Delhi Government has taken control, NOT A SINGLE new Flyover has been constructed in these 6 years.

Not entirely true. As one of the members called out too, the Delhi Cantt flyover was recently constructed along with a few others, though quite a few of them were started during the previous government.

https://www.newindianexpress.com/cit...l-2082530.html

[dr.aviansh]

Originally Posted by Raghav96

I am sure is that no amount of construction of flyovers, road widening et al can keep up with the ever increasing traffic.

No Raghav. As I mentioned that all these years, the travel time continued to remain the same despite the multifold increase in traffic only because of rigorous development by making newer roads and parallel routes as well. But this has gone down since a few years causing a noticeable increase in travel time.

Originally Posted by Amrik Singh

but the conditions have been the same for decades.

Yes Amrik Ji!

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Rao Tula marg is also completed.
Previous CM did a lot of bridges though. Maybe there are only few requirements now.

As I mentioned, RTR flyover was proposed in 2010. It has completed a couple of years back. But the credit goes Late Ms. Sheila Dixit ji. No, I believe as long as the traffic and the population are increasing, the requirements will only go up.

Originally Posted by Eddy

When was the entire Outer Ring Road stretch from Janak Puri District center to Karnal bypass done? Is it six years already?

It was started quite a long time back and was finished in 2016 along with the NSP to Model Town Flyover on the Ring Road.

Originally Posted by Turbanator

Yes, this was legacy of old government, though formally inaugurated by present day government.

Yes, absolutely!

Originally Posted by Col Mehta

Delhi Cantt flyover was recently constructed along with a few others,

No Colonel Sir. It was passed by NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) and not by PWD.

http://www.google.com/amp/s/www.indi...659-2017-03-31

[ValarMorghulis]

This thing of the Minto bridge has been a problem since ages. I remember during my school days, Minto bridge used to be in the news for this exact same reason. I'm now a grown guy and the problem still persists! Sigh.
A repetitive, known problem which happens like clockwork every year and not one party bothered to solve it or is even trying to solve it.

The full page ads of the Delhi govt in Bangalore dailys last week gives a stench now.

[Col Mehta]

No Colonel Sir. It was passed by NHAI (National Highway Authority of India) and not by PWD.

Thank you for the info . Though regardless of who passed the flyover/s, the point is there are new flyovers being built in last six years. I'm afraid this effectively makes the title of this thread incorrect. Maybe should change it to something else which better fits into the context?

[GTO]

No flyover in 6 years, but you guys did get the best Metro system in the country . I would happily trade Mumbai's innumerable flyovers for that (although our metro is also fast expanding, it is nowhere close to Delhi's).

[silverado]

This seems to be a culvert running under railway bridge, this is basically Milan Subway of Delhi ( Milan subway in mumbai is not so tall , but gets flooded regularly ).

Delhi doesnt need flyovers, it needs a change in mindset about not using personal cars everywhere. Mumbai has gone from a city which was using public transport heavily to using personal transport more ( esp scooters! ) which is bad.