Gurgaon: Commuters in the older parts of the city will have to wait longer for relief from damaged roads. The redevelopment of key stretches and several other civic projects has been put on hold for 15 days starting Thursday, following directions from Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) under Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).The redevelopment of two arterial stretches — from Basai Chowk to Old Railway Road and from Old Railway Road to IFFCO Chowk — has been halted despite procurement being completed and materials arriving at the site. Officials said construction could not begin because the restrictions prohibit dust-generating activities.The delay is likely to prolong commuters’ problems on the stretches, which have uneven patches, potholes and broken surfaces. Patch repairs carried out after the monsoon have also begun to deteriorate, while traffic moves slowly along parts of the roads.The project was awarded in Aug, but work could not begin then because bituminous material was unavailable. With the material now in place, GRAP restrictions have emerged as another hurdle. The project includes strengthening the carriageway and constructing drains and footpaths along the stretches.Even routine patchwork and road repairs will be affected, as the plant supplying the material has shut down during the restrictions. As a result, potholes and damaged roads across the city may remain unrepaired until the curbs are lifted.“All ongoing work has been affected. The Basai to IFFCO Chowk redevelopment work has been put on hold because of the GRAP restrictions. Procurement was completed and all the material had arrived. We were ready to start work, but it will now be delayed. Even patchwork will be affected,” a senior GMDA official said.Residents said the delay could extend beyond the period of restrictions, as road construction is unlikely to resume during winter. “The issue is not about the restrictions imposed for 15-20 days. Road work will not happen during winter. The road started deteriorating again after repairs following the monsoon. Broken roads contribute to dust pollution, while traffic congestion also adds to emissions,” said Dheeraj Singh, a Sector 14 resident.Drainage work on Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road has also been affected. A ground-penetrating radar (GPR) survey to map underground utilities before excavation has been completed, but work cannot proceed under the restrictions. The project aims to build a continuous surface drain along a 7.5-km stretch between Mahavir Chowk and Kapashera border to address waterlogging during the monsoon. Vulnerable points include Kapashera border, Hanuman Chowk, Dundahera and Atul Kataria Chowk.Road resurfacing in sectors 110A-111 and Sector 114 has also been stalled. Work on the fourth unit of the Basai water treatment plant and a pipeline to improve supply to tail-end areas has been halted as well.Preparatory work for two proposed flyovers, at Dadi Sati Chowk and Ambedkar Chowk, and an underpass at Millennium City Centre has been limited to mobilising teams and identifying underground utilities. Excavation cannot begin during the restrictions, the GMDA official said. The projects received financial clearance from the state govt last week. Plantation work by GMDA is also continuing, but digging and the removal of excess soil have been stopped.Meanwhile, metro construction is exempt from the restrictions, and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is continuing its ongoing projects, including the Gurgaon-Pataudi-Rewari highway and flyover construction along NH-8. Officials said NHAI would seek an exemption, if required, as some of these projects are of national importance.
