Blamegame over Barapullah mess, PWD minister calls flawed flyover design AAP's legacy

Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma has blamed the AAP for design flaws behind Barapullah Phase-III congestion. The row has intensified as the government works on immediate and long-term fixes with traffic police input.

In Short

• Parvesh Verma blames AAP for Barapullah Phase-III traffic issues
• Says project was planned and designed under AAP government
• Flyover built at Rs 1,635 crore linking key city points

Delhi PWD Minister Parvesh Verma on Wednesday blamed the Aam Aadmi Party for the traffic problems on the Barapullah Phase-III stretch, saying the project was planned and designed under its government and that steps are now being worked out to fix the faults.

The stretch, opened last month, has been seeing slow-moving traffic because of several design shortcomings. Verma said the department has held discussions on both short-term and long-term measures suggested by the Delhi Traffic Police, which has also written to the Public Works Department highlighting the issues.

"We recently held a meeting and discussions were on short-term and long-term solutions that have been suggested by traffic police; we will work on that," Verma said. The BJP leader said the traffic jams on Barapullah showed that the Arvind Kejriwal government lacked foresight.

"All tender specifications, technical feasibility were done by the AAP government. How can this be our design fault?" he added. Verma said his department wanted to undo the faults "as soon as possible" and that all administrative issues had already been resolved.

The minister also said the PWD was in touch with Google Maps for real-time traffic congestion information on the Barapullah Phase-III stretch. "Google Maps algorithm takes around 15 days to update the traffic situation of a road, so that will happen soon; we are in touch with them," Verma said.

Built at a cost of Rs 1,635 crore, the new flyover links Mayur Vihar Phase-1 on Noida Link Road with Sarai Kale Khan on Ring Road and merges with the existing Barapullah network to create a continuous 10-kilometre signal-free stretch up to the AIIMS roundabout. The government has said it is now working on measures to address the traffic issues on the newly opened corridor.

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