New Delhi, March 29 (H.S.): Minister of Food & Supplies, Industry, Forest & Environment Manjinder Singh Sirsa inspected the ongoing construction work on the Gurugram-Delhi Highway from Dhula Kuan to Shiv Murti Interchange and the traffic jam-prone areas on Saturday. He issued directives to control air pollution and make traffic flow smoother. During this visit, senior officials from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Public Works Department (PWD), Airport Authority of India, National Highways Authority of India, and Delhi Traffic Police were present. The minister assessed the air pollution caused by the construction work and the traffic activities on this road. He identified areas prone to congestion and issued necessary instructions to the concerned officials.

During the inspection, the minister asked the relevant authorities to assess the causes of traffic jams, especially considering the increased traffic at the Mahipalpur flyover and on the Rohtak-Chandigarh road. He also inspected the under-construction Shiv Murti Interchange and Airport underpass. He directed the officials to take necessary actions regarding violations of pollution control standards, the lack of green buffers, and measures to control dust.

Manjinder Singh Sirsa observed during the inspection that many construction sites were not covered with construction materials, and the soil coming out from the sites was left open. There was also a lack of regular water spraying, leading to dust pollution. He instructed the DPCC officials to take necessary actions against such contractors under the rules.

The minister told all the concerned officials that there is a direct connection between traffic jams, the increase in PM 2.5 levels, and air pollution. He pointed out to the officials from PWD and NHAI that there is a persistent situation of unnecessary jams near the Rajokri crossing on the Dwarka-Chandigarh bypass road, which connects to Dhaula Kuan, causing traffic to move in a zigzag manner. The minister mentioned that if we create a proper diversion plan for this route, smooth traffic movement could be achieved.

The minister directed the NHAI and PWD officials at the Shiv Murti Interchange to assess the capacity of the interchange and prepare a feasibility report. This report will help in estimating how many vehicles will pass through the proposed corridor and how much the traffic pressure will increase. He emphasized that this route is already heavily congested and suffers from daily traffic jams. Therefore, a proper assessment of its capacity is essential to reduce air pollution caused by congestion.

The Environmental Minister instructed NHAI and MCD to coordinate and work together. Green areas should be expanded along this traffic-affected route, and proper maintenance of trees and plants should be ensured. The Gurugram-Delhi highway is the lifeline of the capital, and considering the high volume of traffic here, controlling air pollution is the top priority of the Delhi government.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar