Repair work on Ashoka Road (symbolic image)
Photo: iStock
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
- NDMC will partially close one lane of Ashoka Road from August 12 to September 10 for repair work on sewer lines, which is expected to cause traffic disruption.
- The closure followed two recent collapses on Ashoka Road. Traffic police are providing diversions and recommending alternative routes.
- Aging sewer lines, some of which are up to 90 years old, are being replaced as part of a phased modernization to fix infrastructure problems and prevent further collapses.
New Delhi: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has announced a partial closure of a roadway. Ashoka Street for one month from Monday, August 12. This measure is necessary to repair damaged sewer lines under the road. The closure will affect a nearly 1-kilometer stretch of Ashoka Road, from the Jaswant Singh Marg roundabout to the Windsor Place roundabout, until September 10.
Traffic disruption is expected on this important artery of New Delhi. NDMC officials have advised commuters travelling from India Gate C-Hexagon to Windsor Place to use Kasturba Gandhi Marg and then proceed to Windsor Place via the Firoz Shah Road traffic signal to avoid delays.
The decision follows damage to sewer lines that led to two collapses on Ashoka Road on July 7 and 10. The first collapse near 14 Ashoka Road has already been cordoned off while the second one near Windsor Place roundabout is contributing to traffic congestion during peak hours. Traffic police will be stationed at the diversion points to manage traffic flow, especially during peak hours, and have recommended using KG Marg and Firoz Shah Road as alternate routes.
An NDMC official explained that the sewer lines in the area were outdated and had been laid before independence. “The old sewer lines started leaking, causing soil erosion and damage to the road surface. We need to replace these sections to find a permanent solution,” the official said.
The repair work on Ashoka Road is part of a phased upgradation of the old sewerage infrastructure. Other works include rehabilitation of old brick-lined sewer lines from Q Point to Sunehri Pulla drain via Bharti Nagar and Archbishop Makarios Marg. The process is expected to be time-consuming.
A second NDMC official noted that many sewer lines in Lutyens’ Delhi are 80-90 years old, including those on Mathura Road, Lodhi Road and other areas. “In some areas, sewer lines have been rehabilitated and in others like CP, KG Marg and Shanti Path, projects are underway. Many of these lines are outdated and built using outdated technology,” the official explained.
Over time, corrosive gases from the sewer system have corroded the bricks and caused them to collapse or subside, especially during the monsoon season.
