Land Dispute Delays Key Ramp on Delhi-Dehradun Expressway Despite Corridor Inauguration

Yugcharan News / 16 April 2026

A long-pending land compensation dispute in the Mandola area of Loni has stalled construction of a crucial access ramp on the newly inaugurated Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun Economic Corridor, creating safety concerns and affecting local connectivity.

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the expressway in Dehradun, significantly reducing travel time between Delhi and Dehradun, an unresolved legal case involving a small but strategically located land parcel continues to hold up completion of a key stretch near the Delhi border.

Strategic Plot in Middle of Planned Ramp Zone

The disputed site covers around 1,600 square metres in Mandola and includes a two-storey residential structure spread over approximately 561 square metres.

The plot lies directly in the alignment where the National Highways Authority of India had proposed to build an entry and exit ramp for local traffic from Mandola and nearby areas.

The ramp is considered critical for ensuring seamless local access to the otherwise access-controlled elevated expressway section between UP Gate and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway.

However, because of the pending litigation, the ramp remains incomplete, leaving an uneven gradient on the stretch that local residents and officials say has already become accident-prone.

Dispute Dates Back Nearly Three Decades

The roots of the case go back to 1998, when the Uttar Pradesh Housing Board acquired nearly 2,614 acres of land from farmers across six villages for the Mandola Vihar Housing Scheme.

At the time, compensation was reportedly fixed at ₹1,100 per square metre.

According to officials and court records cited in reports, more than 94 per cent of the affected landowners accepted compensation and handed over possession.

However, one landowner, Veersen Saroha, challenged the compensation terms and sought enhanced payment. He later approached the Allahabad High Court in 2007.

The matter has remained unresolved for years, with the disputed parcel eventually becoming a key bottleneck for later infrastructure projects.

Project Proceeded Despite Pending Litigation

In 2010, the UP Housing Board reportedly delineated the disputed parcel separately after being unable to settle the issue.

When the expressway project was announced in 2020, the Housing Board allowed NHAI to move ahead with construction in surrounding areas even though the legal case remained pending.

Further complications arose after the highway stretch passing through Mandola was designated as National Highway 709B in 2017.

The matter is now being heard by the Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court. According to reports, the case was last listed on March 26 this year, after which the concerned bench was dissolved.

Legal representatives associated with the project have said that the matter is likely to be taken up again only after a new bench is constituted.

Family Seeks Fair Settlement

Members of the Saroha family have said they are open to resolving the dispute, provided compensation is fair and in line with current valuations.

According to family representatives quoted in reports, they are not opposed to the infrastructure project itself but have continued the legal battle over what they describe as inadequate compensation for acquired land.

With the expressway now operational, the pressure to resolve the matter has increased, both for the family and for local authorities.

Safety Concerns Emerge on Ground

Residents and workers in the area say the incomplete stretch has already created traffic safety hazards.

A guard posted at the disputed property reportedly said the uneven road level and incomplete design have led to vehicles losing balance and, in some cases, overturning near the site.

Now that traffic has started moving on the corridor, concerns are growing that accident risks could increase further, especially during peak hours or poor visibility conditions.

An NHAI official overseeing the stretch acknowledged that the agency has been aware of the safety issue since trial operations began earlier this year.

According to officials, temporary crash barriers have been installed to reduce risk, but they are not a substitute for permanent ramp construction.

The official added that the agency is unable to take further action until the court matter is resolved.

Major Corridor, Local Bottleneck

The Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun Economic Corridor is one of North India’s major road infrastructure projects, designed to improve travel efficiency, reduce congestion, and boost regional connectivity.

The corridor is expected to reduce travel time between Delhi and Dehradun from four to six hours to around two-and-a-half hours, depending on traffic conditions.

It also aims to support economic activity across parts of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Uttarakhand.

However, the Mandola bottleneck highlights the persistent challenge of balancing large infrastructure development with unresolved land acquisition disputes.

Urban planning experts note that such cases underscore the need for faster legal resolution mechanisms, transparent compensation frameworks, and proactive coordination between agencies.

Until the court matter is settled, a critical piece of local access infrastructure on one of the region’s flagship expressway projects is likely to remain incomplete, leaving both commuters and residents to deal with the consequences.