This story is from May 10, 2020

Delhi: Projects at Shahdara Jheel, east corporation’s zonal HQ back in action

Delhi: Projects at Shahdara Jheel, east corporation’s zonal HQ back in action
The corporation claimed to have taken all safety measures at the sites
NEW DELHI: East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) on Saturday resumed construction work for its long-pending redevelopment projects of Shahdara Jheel and the zonal headquarters at CBD Ground.
The east corporation claimed to have taken all precautionary measures at the sites, including social distancing among labourers and engaging them in minimum numbers. It is also providing food and shelter to the workers within the premises to restrict their movement as per the Centre’s decision to allow in situ construction activities with precautions.
“We have started work at these two sites which have enough space.
Contractors have been asked to provide ration to the labourers, make tenements for them, deploy guards so that they don’t go out unnecessarily and to ensure hygiene and social distancing,” said a senior EDMC official.
“On Saturday, the work on construction of a boundary wall and levelling the place with soil began,” the official added.
The Shahdara Jheel redevelopment project includes rejuvenation of the lake and development of a park on a 22-acre plot with facilities for boating, morning walk and cycling among others. The work started in 2012, but could not be finished due to lack of funds.
“EDMC had earlier spent Rs 4 crore and filled the jheel with treated water from a neighbouring drain. But after Trans-Yamuna Area Development Board got disbanded, work in Phase-II was stalled in 2013,” said the official.

In July 2019, the project was again inaugurated and Rs 15 crore was announced by the central government under its AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) scheme to complete it.
“We may also start construction of bio-methanation plant at Shastri Park and make already constructed plant at Geeta Colony fully operational soon,” said the EDMC official.
Officials from other civic agencies, however, are still unsure about resuming work on their projects. Short supply of construction material, machineries and labourers is dissuading them from taking any concrete decision, they said.
“The issue was discussed during a meeting recently and engineers were given directions to figure out arrangements required to be made if they wanted to start work on selected projects. But yes, there is no denying the fact that with restricted supply of construction material, initiating work will be difficult,” said a senior north corporation official.
The civic agency had put on hold two major car parking projects at Idgah and Chandni Chowk as soon as the lockdown was announced. “Even if we have labourers living within the project site, we have to ensure other facilities are made available,” said the official.
South corporation puzzle parking projects at Green Park, Adchini and Lajpat Nagar are also waiting for revival. “We don’t have space to arrange for staying of labourers. Supply of construction material is also a big problem,” said an official.
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