Traffic chaos caused by the opening of the Barapullah Phase-III flyover and subsequent traffic curbs on other key roads to streamline traffic movement across the national capital region (NCR) has had a cascading adverse effect on Siddharth Extension DDA Apartments, alleged residents, as authorities have shut an old loop of the Barapullah corridor that was extensively used by them to commute to south and central parts of Delhi.
Heavy vehicular flow towards AIIMS has caused snarls at various points from Ashram to the loop that connects with the Barapullah corridor. Traffic moving towards Sarai Kale Khan spills on to the left-most lane, blocking vehicles from moving atop this loop. Commute problems have been exacerbated for residents who have to navigate the Ashram-Sarai Kale Khan traffic for entry and exit. The traffic police had initially suggested that motorists of the locality not use the ramp to climb the Barapullah corridor between 8am and 11am, but with the vehicular flow having considerably increased, the ramp is currently being closed throughout the day. Residents of the colony complain that the entry and exit points, at both the Nizamuddin railway underbridge and Sunlight Colony, are choked. “We want the road to be accessible to us. We have requested the traffic police to ensure a guided u-turn for easy merger with the traffic on the bridge.
Traffic police reportedly told residents that traffic flow was being disrupted due to vehicles taking a U-turn towards the Barapullah corridor from the loop, leading to snarls on the Ring Road, according to Attri. “Apart from explaining the prevailing traffic situation and the fact that the ramp is allowed only for one-way traffic towards Siddharth Extension, we have also written to the Public Works Department (PWD) to create a wider curve towards the loop near the gurdwara for Siddharth Extension residents so that they don’t have to face bottlenecks on the Ring Road. The neighbourhood has three pockets, A, B and C, comprising over 1,200 flats and over 4,000 residents.
Siddharth Extension DDA Apartments were built in early 1980s, when Asian Games were held in New Delhi, according to residents. Residents should also push for it through their MLA,” said a traffic police officer, asking not to be identified. Rahul Saini, member of the Pocket B RWA said the team has had several rounds of meeting with the Traffic Police to ensure that the residents do not lose access to the Barapullah. Otherwise the PWD should provide an alternate route for the residents,” Saini said.
Earlier, there were at least two entry points to the society—directly from Ashram and from the Ring Road near the gurdwara.
