DDA Issues
Sanjeev Goyal
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CPGRAM: Registration Number: DOURD/E/2023/0003856 09/03/2023 Organistion name: Dwarka Forum
Dwarka despite being a planned city suffers with several shortcomings, we keep on sending issues and points for improvement but never hear back from authorities. In addition to some bigger planning issues there are some smaller ground level issues at Dwarka for which we have sent several letters to authorities but there is ZERO response.
These are again brought forward for issuing necessary direction to DDA for needful: 1. Skywalk: On a few intersections in Dwarka there are busy markets at all four corners. As a natural outcome, there is always heavy pedestrians movement, one such crossing is sector 4-5-11-12. As far as pedestrians movement is concerned the infrastructure at ground level is pathetic and highly inconvenient and totally devoid of UTTIPEC guidelines. DDA officers are requested to have on the spot experience of moving from one market to another and see how difficult it is. It is therefore suggested that DDA may consider making a skywalk to facilitate seamless inter-market movement at this intersection. Similar other spots with heavy pedestrians movement like (i) between sector 6 & 10 market, (ii) Sector-21 Metro Station & crossing road towards sector-22 etc. may be identified for construction of skywalk. 2. Slip Road: At the intersection of sector 5/6 road with road number 221 (Kaveri Apartment, plot no.-4, sector-6), during evening hours the traffic willing to take a left turn on road no. 221 toward sports complex is facing delay and has to wait for 2 to 3 cycles of green light before passing through this point. The point is, there is no slip road for a left turn on this junction despite availability of sufficient space. The site was also shown to EE Sh Shailender Kumar,EE WD 13,on 16/01/2021 during site inspection dated (refer letter no. SKG/DDA/307). With a gradual increase in traffic load, the situation is only expected to worsen in times to come. It is requested that a slip road for left turn toward sports complex be constructed at this junction. 3. Road Signage: There are several roads in Dwarka, internal as well as MP roads, where no road number signage is fixed. The absence of road number signage has made road identification difficult. Despite habitation for around 3 decades a lot of roads are without numbering. Most of the crossing/T points have been given any identification name/number. Therefore, DDA is requested to take steps to fix road number signage on all the crossings/T points in Dwarka.
4. Platform for Birds: Like in the rest of the Delhi in Dwarka also at many places we can see bird-lovers & religious-minded people offering feed to birds at pavements. At a number of places, this practice is going on. At locations, it has been observed that it becomes slightly difficult for pedestrians to cross the stretch because of feed/bajra/corn spreading all the way. It does not look nice to walk over someone’s feed. So in order to address the issue, it is suggested that at appropriate places 2 feet high 2 feet X 5 feet solid structures be created. The structure should have a 4-inch height boundary wall to protect the feed from spreading outside. On these platforms, people may place feed for offering to birds. To avoid the accumulation of water, the structures should have channels to facilitate the outflow of rain-water. This will function as a designated platform for the purpose and avoid any inconvenience to pedestrians as well. The walls of the platform may be painted with flowers & other artistic creations. A few locations are suggested as under: A. Adjacent to letter-box near Dwarkadheesh Temple sector-12, B. On left side pavement while approaching Kargil Chowk from KM Chowk sector 12 C. Opposite Vegas Mall sector 13. 5. Maintenance Check List: Despite DDA being a very old and matured civic body there is no standard check list for field staff concerning road/footpath maintenance. Since all the field staff does not carry the same level of intelligence, understanding and maturity level many of the staff members fail in noticing basic maintenance issues and just ignore them. In the absence of defined parameters & standard reporting format for road inspection, at present, it is left to the discretion, understanding & free will of the engineer concerned to note or ignore any point. So many maintenance issues crop up and lying pending only because there is no specified reporting format for road inspection activity. It is requested that a basic check list be devised enabling staff to effectively discharge their duty, sample could be as under: 1) Whether any kerbstone/tile is uprooted or caved in on central verge or footpath, 2) Is there any very high level of entry point of footpath (exceeding 150 mm) requiring steps/slopes or realignment? 3) Is there any obstruction of any kind on footpath creating problems for pedestrian movement? 4) Whether any pothole is visible - if yes where and about what size? 5) Are there any cracks in the road to be filled or road caved in? 6) Is there any missing man-hole or drain cover? 7) Is there any maintenance work on road/footpath to be done within the warranty period? 8) Is there any falling pole, railing, wire, overhead signboard, tree branch, dead animal, construction material, debris, damaged vehicle or any other kind of material lying etc. lying on road? 9) Is there any dug up space on the footpath or road inadequately barricaded or lying unattended for many days? 10) Is there any broken or unpainted speed-breaker or zebra crossing? And zebra crossing is free from any obstruction. 11) Is there any kind of kuchha or pucca encroachment on the road or footpath? 12) Is entry & exit points of the footpath have appropriate poles fixed so as to prevent climbing of vehicles on it? 13) Is there any requirement of signage on road? 14) Is there any water logging, on-road or any overflowing sewer requiring desilting? 15) Is there any kind of damage street furniture? 16) Is green belt free from malba & rubbish? 17) Is there any open space where tree can be planted? 18) Is the soil level in central verge/green strip is at least 4 inch below the edge of kerb stone for allowing rain water to stay there? 19) Is there any staircase/ramp constructed on the road by shop keepers in violation of guidelines? 20) Any other issue, as per intelligence of concerned field staff,
6. The Indraprastha Lane in sector 12, Dwarka has 4 DDA pockets (i.e pocket 2 to 5) & 4 housing societies (i.e. plot no. 12-16) located on it. However, there is no dhalo constructed by DDA for placing garbage. Though every DDA pocket has exclusive space for it but everywhere big dustbin trolleys have been kept on the main road outside pocket & societies. On this lane at 7 places these trolleys are kept on road for collection of garbage by municipality. This has blocked the pedestrians’ way, most of the walking lane cannot be used, eaten up road space, and spread garbage everywhere (photos attached). The overflowing trolleys have become an eye sore. Not only this, the garbage collection truck has to stop at all these 7 place for emptying these leading to very inefficient way of working. This is a patent example of poor planning by DDA, in whole of Dwarka nowhere dhalows were made until ordered by National Green Tribunal.
On this lane, after Shubham Apartment there is ample space for making a dhalo (photo attached). It is suggested that DDA may construct a mini dhalo at this point to cater to this area, where all these scattered trolleys can stand at one place and nearby residents also get a secure place for throwing garbage.
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Sanjeev Goyal
DOURD/E/2023/0004334
DDA/18-03-2023
Organisation : Dwarka Forum
A grievance was filed against DDA in August 2022 pointing out some defects (below) in the planning of Dwarka sub-city. Surprisingly, till date no one from DDA has addressed it, rather the grievance has been shunted to several officers even to MCD and no one gave any final comments.
The more serious issue is no one from DDA has acknowledged these shortcomings and given any assurance to address these in future planning. So, there are bright chances of recurrence of similar defects.
It is requested that DDA may be directed to acknowledge it and ensure to (1) Address these issues in Dwarka and (2) Not to repeat these while planning future city areas.
Sir, PMOPG/E/2022/0211477
Reg: Grievance against DDA.
Dwarka is claimed to be planned as a modern sub-city with all amenities but it turned out to be the case with many shortcomings. Some of them could be enlisted as under:
1) No garbage collection centres (dhalao) and garbage processing centers were constructed throughout sub-city, the collection centres were constructed later with court orders. Even today at many places road side carts are placed for garbage collection,
2) All over Dwarka the footpath height and design is not in compliance with UTTIPEC guidelines,
3) Ingress & outgress roads from Dwarka are way short of the requirement,
4) Parking arrangement in sector markets is grossly inadequate,
5) Mixed land use permitted to plots on main roads without applying any mind about parking problem,
6) The party hall and hospital planned adjacent to each other just creating nuisance,
7) No place for public library/ reading facility provided,
8) Entry to service roads at many places is allowed immediate after an intersection, inducing people to drive in the wrong lane.
9) Left turn slip roads not designed on several busy intersections,
10) There are excessive traffic red lights in Dwarka, indicating that no adequate brain storming was done on this issue at the planning stage,
11) No permanent trenches were made to avoid frequent digging of roads by several departments,
12) Inadequate space for the post office was earmarked,
13) Inadequate Police Stations planned,
14) No place earmarked for the weekly bazaar, subzi market etc.,
15) No planned space provided for tehbazari system for small-time vendors like cycle repair shop, cobbler, pressman, flower etc.
16) No TSR, taxi stands visible anywhere,
17) Inadequate sports ground,
All these are issues which with better planning could have been avoided. In this regard information was sought from DDA under RTI – as what is the review mechanism and how they plan to avoid recurrence of same in future planning? Is there any central planning cell which takes care of errors for further improvement? However, same was not replied by DDA rather the application was transferred to SDMC. Everyone knows that SDMC has no role to play in designing & development of Dwarka sub-city. This indicates that there is total lack of any kind of review mechanism and there are no processes to avoid recurrences of the earlier committed errors. This tantamount to not shouldering responsibility of own mistakes.
In view of above, it is requested that DDA may be directed to
(1) Immediately constitute a review mechanism of hitherto planned areas,
(2) List down all faults, errors and deficiencies in planning & designing existing areas,
(3) Set a mechanism to avoid repetition of past errors and
(4) Share the document with other planning Boards across country.