New Delhi: 6th November 2020
Chief Minister Shri Arvind Kejriwal on Friday laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Rohtak Road. The CM said that in many previous projects, the Delhi government has completed the projects well before time and at a lesser cost, and the time and cost-saving model will be replicated in this project as well. He also urged the people to consider their masks as a vaccine for the Coronavirus, unless and until an actual vaccine comes. Urging the neighbouring states to give an alternative to stubble burning to their farmers, Arvind Kejriwal said that Delhi has surpassed every state in providing a sustainable alternative to stubble burning to farmers in Delhi, and he hopes that this is the last year when people in North India should be dealing with pollution due to stubble burning. Delhi Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain also graced the occasion with his presence.
Speaking at the occasion, Kejriwal said, “It was the request long due from the people living in the area, and the ones traveling via it to get the road reconstructed. Originally constructed in 2011, every road undergoes repair in five years, but it has been nine years since its establishment and the over-usage has led to its damage. I congratulate all Delhiites that this work will now be initiated. In the past, the Delhi Government has completed many projects before time and at a lesser cost. We will try our best to complete the redevelopment project well before time.”
CM said, “In this pandemic, we have been trying to overcome the virus. But during the initial stage when Covid had not entered Delhi, flights carrying approximately 32000 Indians from various countries landed in the national capital. But there was no system of aggressive testing then. Delhi did not start at 0 in terms of the number of Covid cases. Delhi started at thousands owing to the lack of aggressive testing of people who flew in from international flights. Delhi is the national capital of India and attracts people from all over the world. What we are facing currently is the third wave. On 23rd June, we faced the highest number of cases, but Delhiites combatted the issue and supported in decreasing the cases significantly. Then, on 17th September, we again faced a surge. But in this third wave, I’m extremely hopeful that Delhiites will continue to provide their extensive support as always to fight the phase and the virus. We have successfully defeated Dengue. In 2015, Dengue cases had reached a new high. Over the past 2 years, we have not recorded a single death due to dengue.”
In the past, the Delhi Government has completed many projects before time and at a lesser cost, I hope our engineers will try to replicate this time and cost-saving model in this project as well : CM Arvind Kejriwal
“To fight covid, the only protocol to follow is wearing your mask. Till the time we don’t have a vaccine, consider your mask as the vaccine. There is no other way to fight this virus. Covid doesn’t distinguish between demographics. It can happen to anyone. I strongly appeal to all present here, to turn wearing a mask into a movement. And make it a habit that one cannot miss out on,” he added.
Kejriwal said that pollution is also rising in Delhi. He said, “We have had a stronghold on pollution control in Delhi. It’s only in the months ahead of winter that we face this issue but that is also due to stubble burning in the neighbouring states. To combat pollution within the city, Delhiites have surpassed every state. The Delhi government sprayed the decomposer invented by Pusa Institute on all the farmlands in Delhi. This decomposer is an effective alternative to stubble burning as it turns stubble into manure. This stubble has now turned into an opportunity for the farmers, it is no longer a liability. I hope that Haryana and Punjab government also help their farmers just like Delhi did. I sincerely believe that this is the last year when we have to tolerate pollution due to stubble burning. Now, no other state should make excuses for not helping their farmers. If they need help, we are ready to provide them with chemicals.”
“Today is a very joyous occasion as we have begun work to re-construct the Rohtak road from Zakhira to Delhi border. The stipulated time for reconstruction is six months, but I will try my best to make the road available for use in just four months : Satyendra Jain, Delhi Urban Development Minister
The total cost of the redevelopment project is Rs 25 crores, and it will be completed in 6 months. The redevelopment will be carried out with the use of the latest cold-milling technology, in which the upper layer of the road will be recycled and reused in the redevelopment of the road. The use of the latest technology reduces the cost of any project by 10-15% through the reuse of old resources.
The road is 13.33 km long, and 200 ft wide. The road was first constructed in 2011 and was to be redeveloped in 2016 by NHAI. However, the project has now been taken up by the Delhi government due to no sanction of funds by the NHAI. Lack of stipulated maintenance has deteriorated the condition of the road. The shelf life of which was originally 5 years, has now been in use for nine years approximately leading to the destruction. The strengthening of the road will lead to less water-logging and will resolve the issue of traffic congestion.
The new road will ease traffic congestions and will be beneficial for farmers in Haryana. The new technology will also bring relief from pollution and dust due to fuel burning.
