News: Gurugram: When SPR stands for such a painful road-17-03-2021

For those staying in plush condominiums along the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR), negotiating potholed roads after sunset is probably one of the most challenging tasks.

While most places between sectors 68 and 80 do not have streetlights, the ones that do are still in the dark as the lamps are defunct.

There is more. At the address that developers sell as ‘upscale’, residents have to deal with garbage strewn around the streets.

“It is very difficult to drive on the roads at night because there are no streetlights. Most families do not take their vehicles out because of this after dark. Trucks use the roads till late and the area is prone to accidents,” said Akansha Gupta, a resident of Emaar Palm Hills, Sector 77.

The area between sectors 68 and 80 has developed in the past few years and the 60m-wide SPR was built later.

With time, several commercial establishments have come up along the road, which stretches from sectors 68 and 69 to Sector 80 near the Kherki Daula toll plaza.

While some of these new sectors are under the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG), a few areas closer to Manesar are under the Municipal Corporation of Manesar (MCM).

According to officials, a population of about 1 lakh is under the MCG and the Manesar civic body will cater to nearly 3.5 lakh people.

But with multiple agencies like the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) involved with development work, most people say it’s a struggle to reach the right one.

“There are no streetlights here but we have several liquor shops. In fact, one is right next to our society gate and it is a major safety concern. Our first demand from the new civic body is that they install some streetlights,” said a resident, who often works till late at night at a call centre, not wishing to be named.

Ashish Saxena, a resident of Tulip Orange in Sector 70, feels regular police patrolling could help. “But there is no police station in the vicinity,” he says.

The sectors lack several other basic civic amenities as well.

The drainage network is inadequate, residents said.

Rampant construction and unauthorised settlements have blocked the existing channels and now, most roads get inundated with waste water, especially during monsoon.

“There are no parks or green patches where children and the elderly can spend some time,” Saxena added.

The roads and drains have not been repaired for several years, according to the residents.

In sectors 69 and 70, garbage and construction waste are often dumped along the roads.

“This is not only polluting the place but also becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes. No one from the government agencies is looking at these issues,” said Kunjal Jindal, an IT professional and a resident of Tulip Violet, Sector 69.

The area is part of Badshapur constituency and in 2019, when Rakesh Daultabad won the seat as an Independent, he promised better facilities and infrastructure for the residents.
But more than a year later, nothing much has changed.

“The MLA and his team should go on a drive from Vatika Chowk to Sector 80 and see how MCG and GMDA have failed to do anything here,” said Rajat Kumar, who stays in a residential complex next to SPR.

Daultabad said development work took a hit due to the lockdown.

“But now, the work — be it for roads or for streetlights — will start and will be completed within a fixed deadline. I will hold a meeting with GMDA and MCG officials and review the status of pending work,” he said.

When contacted, MCG commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh said that with the recent expansion of the civic body’s limits, 16 new urban villages and 22 new sectors are now under the authority.
“Since these areas are already urbanised, the MCG has started a survey of the existing infrastructure so that there is holistic development here,” he said.

He added that water supply, which was earlier with the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), is now under MCG.

“A proper sewage system has been planned for the new areas. Roads that were earlier maintained by gram panchayats or the Public Works Department (PWD) will now be with MCG. A survey has been initiated for streetlights and the concessionaire responsible for waste collection has been directed to start a door-to-door collection service. The MCG plans to start large scale development work in these areas soon,” Singh said.