Wait for service roads along CPR gets longer

Gurgaon: GMDA is exploring the possibility of acquiring land for constructing service roads along the Central Peripheral Road (CPR) on Dwarka Expressway through transferable development rights (TDR) policy after NHAI refused to acquire it for the purpose.
According to a GMDA official, while a section of 1,021m for construction of the 10m-wide service road is available, two critical patches of 360m and 515m still need to be acquired to complete the project.Before NHAI's denial to acquire land, GMDA had identified 8.02 acres along CPR for it.
"We are exploring the possibility of using the TDR mechanism for acquiring the land for the construction of the service road along CPR. GMDA CEO will depute the chief town planner to explore how TDR can be used for the purpose," said Arun Dhankhar, chief engineer of GMDA, infra-I.
The TDR policy allows landowners to surrender their land for public infrastructure needs in exchange for TDR certificates.
These certificates can then be sold to developers, enabling the landowners to monetise their holdings. The TDR policy has been designed as a flexible alternative to traditional land acquisition, especially in areas where critical infrastructure projects, such as roads and highways, are needed for urban expansion.
However, the road ahead for GMDA is not without challenges as the TDR policy has not been widely adopted. In 2022, the department of town and country planning (DTCP) made efforts to encourage landowners to offer land for road development under the policy, but received a lukewarm response. Hence, for this project too, acquiring the necessary patches of land through this policy may not be simple.
The construction of these service roads is crucial to ensure safer access to residential and commercial projects along the CPR, which currently have direct and unsafe access to the high-speed, access-controlled expressway.
In addition to this, Haryana state industrial and infrastructure development corporation (HSIIDC) will also get access to the Dwarka Expressway for its Global City project through the proposed service road.