New Delhi: The wall collapse near the Vasant Kunj metro station on Aug 9, which caused a portion of the Mahipalpur-Mehrauli Road to cave in, has led to a traffic nightmare for commuters. Locals claimed that since the Delhi Metro has not yet repaired the damaged portion of the road, traffic has been re-routed onto an alternate route— Bhagwan Mahaveer Road— worsening the congestion in the area.However, Delhi Metro said the regular rain activity has hampered the pace of restoration work, and vehicular movement on the road will be permitted only after ensuring safety.Since the incident, the carriageway from Kishangarh to Mahipalpur has been closed to traffic. As a result, vehicles are being diverted via Bhagwan Mahaveer Road, causing inconvenience to residents and commuters alike.Ameena Talwar, secretary general, Federation of RWAs of Vasant Kunj, said half of the alternate route is being repaired, leading to traffic jams on the road. “Apart from the repair work, the route is witnessing traffic snarls due to the presence of schools, a dairy, and illegal parking,” said Talwar.Resident Shilpa Bugnait shared her frustration, saying, “I used to take about an hour to reach my office in Gurugram. After the wall collapse, my commute now takes nearly two hours due to heavy traffic.”Anuradha Kapoor, from Vasant Kunj’s D3 area, described the stretch as a major bottleneck. “My sons’ school bus, which usually arrives by 2.30 pm, was delayed by an hour on Tuesday due to being stuck in traffic. After school, they face the same packed roads when going to tuition,” she said.Amit Aggarwal, another resident, added that nearly 10 days have passed since the collapse, but no repairs have been completed. “We recently met with stakeholders, including MLA Gajendra Yadav, and were told a proposal is underway to use the road beneath the flyover,” he said.Anuj Dayal, principal executive director, corporate communications, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), said, “Restoration work near the Masoodpur flyover at Vasant Kunj is currently in progress. The settled section has been refilled with concrete. Piling work to facilitate further progress of work will start this week. Intermittent rainfall has hampered the pace of work as a prolonged dry spell is required to ensure the stability of the restored area.” He added that vehicular movement will only resume once safety is fully assured.
