Sound barrier sheets go missing from flyovers

NEW DELHI: Delhiites living along six flyovers are being protected from the noise of traffic. However, the expensive sound barriers, which could cost anything between Rs 48 lakh and over a crore to be installed along both sides of the flyovers, are often found missing or damaged. And instead of taking measures to prevent theft, the public works department of Delhi government simply replaces the missing ones every couple of years.

At the Munirka and Rao Tula Ram flyovers in south Delhi, several of the polycarbonate sheets are missing. Some of the damage, of course, was a result of Friday's storm, but PWD officials accept that theft is the most common reason for replacing the sheets. On both flyovers, empty frames greet motorists while some loose sheets, flapping precariously in the face of the traffic, pose an imminent danger. Moreover, the gaping holes look ugly.

During Friday's storm, around 100 metres of the sound barrier at RTR flyover came loose, prompting traffic police to close the carriageway till the sheets were removed. PWD officials say they have asked the maintenance wing to take corrective action immediately though the flyover still resembles a denture with missing teeth.

Meanwhile, since only six flyovers have been made sound-proof and the sheets are being stolen frequently, sources question why these flyovers cannot be patrolled or why the sheets cannot be fixed in such a way that they may not be easily dislodged. "Flyovers at Britannia Chowk, Naraina, RTR, Munirka and Aruna Asif Ali Marg have been sound-proofed using Indian-made sheets that cost Rs 4,000 per sq m. Presuming that each flyover is 300-400 m long and that each sheet is 2 m high, it would have cost Rs 48 lakh to sound-proof them. The Commonwealth Games Village flyover was sound-proofed by DDA in 2010 using German-made material. This cost Rs 10,000 per sq m," revealed a PWD official.

At such a cost, is it practical to keep replacing missing sheets? Sound-proofing the CWG Village flyover was a pointless exercise since the residential complex is some distance away from the road and only a few flats are occupied at present. Despite this, money is being spent from the public exchequer to replace these sheets when they are stolen or damaged. PWD claims that replacement is done every two years and temporary measures are taken to hide the gaps in the interim.

PWD officials say they have filed several FIRs but it is impossible to keep a check on such thefts. "We lose lakhs each year in stolen pipe railings, manhole covers, metal holdings etc and have filed several FIRs with the police. However, no case has ever been solved. The material is either sold off or used in temporary shelters. Other than replacing the missing parts, there is nothing we can do," said the official.

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