Infrastructure – Delayed Underground Parking Project Continues to Trouble Jangpura Residents

Infrastructure –  Years after missing several construction deadlines, the underground multi-level parking facility in Jangpura continues to remain unfinished, raising concerns among local residents and commuters. The project, originally planned to ease parking pressure in busy South Delhi areas, is now struggling with severe waterlogging and deteriorating infrastructure. Despite additional funds being proposed for completion, the facility has yet to become operational.

Waterlogging Hampers Progress at Parking Facility

A recent inspection of the site revealed that large sections of the three-level underground structure are submerged in stagnant water. The lower basement levels remain flooded, making several parts inaccessible and unusable. The standing water has also led to hygiene concerns, with mosquitoes and insects breeding inside the incomplete premises.

The parking structure was designed to accommodate more than 300 vehicles and was expected to significantly reduce roadside congestion in the surrounding residential and commercial areas. However, with construction still incomplete, vehicles continue to occupy nearby roads, narrowing traffic movement and creating regular bottlenecks.

Local commuters say the situation becomes particularly difficult during peak evening hours when roadside vendors add to the congestion. Ram Sevak, an autorickshaw driver who frequently travels through the area, said traffic movement slows considerably due to vehicles parked on both sides of the road.

Long-Delayed Civic Project Faces Renewed Scrutiny

The parking project is part of a larger Municipal Corporation of Delhi initiative approved in 2008. The plan included the construction of underground multi-level parking facilities in New Friends Colony, Jangpura, and Kalkaji to address increasing parking shortages in densely populated neighborhoods.

Construction work was awarded in 2010 to a private contractor at an estimated cost of around ₹104 crore. According to the original timeline, the project was expected to be completed by March 2011. However, repeated delays, contractual disputes, and extensions prevented the project from meeting its deadlines.

Now, a proposal seeking an additional ₹3 crore for completing the three parking projects is awaiting approval from the MCD House. Even as discussions continue at the civic level, the condition of the Jangpura site has drawn criticism from residents who say the area has shown little improvement over the years.

Residents Raise Safety and Health Concerns

People living and working near the project site say the unfinished construction has become a source of inconvenience and concern. Mohammad Ahmed, a mechanic operating a shop near the location, said stagnant water has made movement around the area difficult, especially during humid weather.

He also pointed out that an MCD dispensary operates close to the construction site, where elderly residents and children regularly visit for medical services. According to locals, the unhygienic conditions near the flooded structure could create avoidable health risks if the issue remains unresolved.

Several residents believe the incomplete facility reflects poor project management and inadequate monitoring despite the project being under construction for more than a decade.

Contractor Penalised Amid Ongoing Delays

Official documents indicate that civic authorities eventually imposed penalties on the contractor due to prolonged delays. Security deposits and guarantees were forfeited, and the company was reportedly barred from participating in future tenders for a period of five years.

Although revised timelines and conciliation agreements were later introduced in an attempt to revive the project, substantial portions of the facility remain unfinished. Civic officials are now under pressure to complete the project, especially as parking demand continues to increase across South Delhi neighborhoods.

For residents and daily commuters, the expectation remains the same — that the long-pending parking infrastructure will eventually become functional and help reduce congestion in one of the capital’s busiest residential zones.