Housing dept to vet urban infra projects

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Lucknow: Strengthening the key pillars of urban planning, the housing department, through housing development agencies in UP, is going to provide its inputs over the infrastructure-related works that are undertaken in cities from now on.

Specifying 16 different nature of works, the housing department has summoned detailed project reports of projects planned for the future needs of a city. Traffic improvement works, solid waste management facilities, foot overbridges, water bodies restoration programme, drainage system, parking complexes, electrification and utility laying are among the 16 nature of works.

A team of experts having background in urban planning are going to be deputed to study the projects before they get grounded. If needed, assistance of chief town and country planner is going to be taken. . “Let us take examples of railway overbridges, for instance. We all have heard about the Para RoB where building was constructed and delayed the project. Similarly, if we talk about Vibhuti Khand railway overbridge in Gomtinagar that connects PICUP building to Lohia Park crossing, that was built more than a decade back, one would come across planning issues. The flyover terminates right before Lohia Park chauraha, a busy thoroughfare. It could have been extended beyond the Lohia chauraha but we were never consulted by the concerned construction agency when it decided to change the alignment,” said a former chief town and country planner.

Meanwhile, Vikas Chaurasia, a private contractor from C Block, Indiranagar, said: . “LDA undertook construction of Green Corridor recently. But it merges with roads which witness heavy traffic. . They should have provided underpasses or overpasses at the junctions in order to manage the traffic load.”

Principal secretary of the housing department P Guruprasad issued the order on May 27 and circulated the list of 16 kinds of work areas where close collaboration is needed.