Delhi: Streetscaping of 7 stretches to be done by December

The roads that were discussed included Majlis Park to Azadpur, K N Katju Marg, Road no 58 near Leela Hotel, Shanti Van road, Road opposite Indian Habitat Centre, Tikri Border Entry, Road no 59 near Signature Bridge, and Nelson Mandela Marg. The stretches, ranging from 700 metre stretches to 1.2-km, will be treated as samples for the project.

Earlier this year, an outlay of Rs 500 crore had been proposed for the beautification of over 500 km across approximately 150 stretches. The project is expected to be completed by 2023.

Meanwhile, work on seven other stretches over 33 km is ongoing. In April, CM Arvind Kejriwal had inspected Sriniwaspuri, Ring Road, where redevelopment work had started.

Stretches where work is already going on include Wazirpur Depot Crossing to Rithala Metro station, Britannia Chowk to Outer Ring Road, Shiv Das Puri Marg to Patel Road, Moti Nagar t-Point to Pusa Road, and Laxmi Nagar to Karkari Mor on Vikas Marg.

An official working on it said they are in different stages of progress at the moment. It was earlier expected to be completed by October, but officials said because of the dynamic nature of the project and labour shortage during the lockdown this year, they will need a few more months.

The official said, “All locations have slightly different designs since we are experimenting at this stage. Further, all areas have different requirements, one is a market area, while another is a residential area.”

In some of these roads, footpaths have been revamped using cobblestones and paver blocks. Once a few of the stretches are ready, a few final designs will be shortlisted for the other roads.

PWD officials said the project will include redesigning footpaths, increasing green cover and planting new trees, new lighting, creating cycle tracks, and redesigning drainage in a few areas. Trees like Palm, Kadamba, and Neem will be planted. The aim of redesigning the roads is to decongest them, ensure smooth traffic, while also improving the overall aesthetic.