Flat buyers at NHAI door for Dwarka e-way

GURUGRAM: Nearly 50 members of DXP Welfare Association, which represents 34 residential projects on Dwarka expressway, approached NHAI officials on Saturday for expediting the completion of the national highway. The expressway project, which was launched a decade ago, has seen multiple delays due to land acquisition hurdles.

"We are unable to shift to our homes due to the non-completion of the highway. Though the Dwarka expressway was declared a national highway 18 months back, the actual work towards the completion of this project has not taken off till date," stated a letter submitted by the homebuyers to NHAI officials.

However, the homebuyers expressed happiness in the fact that a tender for a portion of the expressway has been released recently. NHAI also recently announced NCR's longest-elevated corridor on the expressway.

The homebuyers are, however, still unsure of the timely completion of the project as the multiple delays in the past 10 years have taken a toll their patience levels. "The six-lane elevated highway sounds like an ambitious plan to ease traffic and pollution level, but still there is no concrete plan from the government side for the timely completion of Dwarka expressway," said Yashesh Yadav, president of DXP Welfare Association.

The delay in the project has primarily been caused due to hurdles in land acquisition, and litigation and protests by oustees. "We don't see the desirable seriousness from authorities towards resolving the issues pertaining to the completion of the Dwarka expressway. From the past one year, the issues have only increased and even today there is no connectivity between the existing portion of Dwarka expressway and NH-8 or towards Delhi," said Pradip Rahi, another affected homebuyer.

Envisioned as the fourth link between Delhi and Gurgaon — after MG Road, NH-8 and Old Delhi-Gurgaon road — Dwarka expressway originates at Shiv Murti in Delhi and ends at Kherki Daula in Gurgaon, near the toll plaza on the highway. In all, around 90,000 homebuyers are affected due to the delay in the completion of the project and many have not been able to move into their flats because the road is still incomplete.

Despite repeated attempts, NHAI officials could not be contacted.