6-lane flyover inaugurated in Punjabi Bagh

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Atishi on Thursday inaugurated a six-lane flyover in Punjabi Bagh, saying around 3.45 lakh people will use it every day.

The chief minister said the 1.12km stretch will bypass three red lights, bringing relief to commuters travelling between Azadpur, Raja Garden, Paschim Vihar, Najafgarh, and ESI Hospital.

"Around 3.45 lakh people will be benefited from this flyover every day. There was an issue of traffic in the area. We believe that every day 40,800 hours of the people of Delhi will be saved from the inauguration of this flyover. Eleven lakh litres of petrol and diesel will be saved from the inauguration of this flyover and reduce pollution equal to planting 65,000 trees," Atishi said.

The flyover is the 39th in the last ten years which has been inaugurated after the AAP government came to power, she said at the inauguration.

"The Punjabi Bagh flyover is not just a gift for the residents of Punjabi Bagh, Madipur, and Moti Nagar, but for all Delhiites. This section of the Ring Road, connecting Azadpur to Najafgarh via Punjabi Bagh, Basai Darapur, and Paschim Vihar, has long been a source of frustration due to daily traffic jams," she said.

The flyover will complement the Moti Nagar flyover, which was made double-lane in March this year under the leadership of then-chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, she said.

"In 2014, Delhi ranked fourth globally for traffic congestion. Today, Delhi has dropped to 44th place, which is a clear testament to the improved traffic speed. Beyond just flyovers, Delhi's overall infrastructure has seen remarkable growth," she said.

"When we look at the Delhi Metro, by 2015, only 200 km of metro lines had been completed in about 19 years. However, in just 10 years, under the AAP government, an additional 200 km has been completed, and 250 km more are under construction – a total expansion of 450 km in just a decade," Atishi added.

More than 10,000 km of roads have been constructed, 6,800 km of sewer lines laid, and 4,000 km of water pipelines installed, while a decade ago, Delhi had only 67,000 streetlights, she said.

The AAP government worked on a war footing to eliminate dark spots, and today, there are over four lakh streetlights, brightening every corner of the city, she claimed.

"Similarly, 10 years ago, Delhi had only 25,000 CCTV cameras. Today, Delhi boasts over three lakh CCTV cameras, the highest for any city globally.

"In fact, in the last 10 years, we have installed cameras at such an impressive scale that we have surpassed cities like London and New York," she added.