Contractor found using subpar steel in Chilla elevated road: Noida authority

The discovery was made during a site inspection on Friday by Noida authority’s chief executive officer Lokesh M

The contractor building the Chilla Elevated Road, a key link between Mayur Vihar in Delhi and the Mahamaya Flyover on the Noida Expressway, is using substandard steel for the pillars, the Noida authority said on Friday. The authority expressed strong dissatisfaction with the contractor and issued a notice for violating approved construction norms.

The construction site of the Chilla elevated road in Noida in March 2025. (HT Archive)

The discovery was made during a site inspection on Friday by Noida authority’s chief executive officer Lokesh M, who was accompanied by officer on special duty Mahendra Prasad, general manager AK Arora, SP Singh, and other officials. The inspection revealed that the UP Bridge Corporation (UPBC), responsible for building the elevated road, was using steel that did not meet the authority’s standards.

“We found that UPBCL is using substandard steel in the construction against the approved norms. We have strictly directed the agency to use the steel approved by the authority. We have also issued a notice to UPBCL seeking their reply against this anomaly,” said Lokesh M.

The CEO also instructed the civil department to impose a penalty on the agency for project delays and for failing to complete work on time. Despite seeking more time, the agency has made unsatisfactory progress on the ground, officials said.

The 5.6km Chilla Elevated Road project was launched in March 2025 to reduce daily congestion on the Delhi-Noida Link Road. The ₹893 crore project is expected to be completed in three years and will offer direct connectivity between Mayur Vihar and Greater Noida, Noida Sector 37, Kalindi Kunj, and Faridabad, among other locations.

The road aims to ease chronic traffic bottlenecks between Noida Sector 14A and the Mahamaya Flyover, offering relief to thousands of commuters during peak hours.

The project was first conceptualised in 2012, but faced delays due to funding issues from the Public Works Department (PWD), realignment around a GAIL gas pipeline, and Covid-19-related disruptions. After Delhi government approval in 2018, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath laid the foundation stone in January 2019.

In addition to this project, the CEO also reviewed the golf course in Sector 151A, a new building in Sector 96, the approach road for a new bridge across the Hindon between Sectors 145 and 146, the nearly finished Bhangel elevated road, and roads in Sector 18, officials said.

He also directed the water works department to involve IIT Delhi in a detailed city survey to find solutions for recurring waterlogging, which causes trouble for residents during rains, according to officials.