It was not very long ago that Gurgaon, which today is known as the Millennium City, was a small town known more for the Sheetla Mata temple and the military cantonment that was established here by the British. The town was ‘sleepy’, with a small market and just a few vehicles on the road. People knew each other by name. Despite a shot in the arm given by the setting up of Maruti, Hero Honda and a few others in the 70s/80s, the massive city that we see today started its buildup only two decades ago, when ‘saturation’ in Delhi forced both industry as well as people to look for greener, cheaper and more peaceful options. The Capital was also drowning in pollution at that time. The proximity of Gurgaon to the (Palam) Airport proved to be another blessing. The combination of real estate, IT and the corporate sector has brought untold wealth to the City residents and investors, and also led to the creation of great residences and malls, and world class office spaces and related infrastructure. The markets in Gurgaon - which two decades ago resembled village markets - now offer world-class products. Restaurants too offer world class food, and the golf courses are the cherry at the top. All this adds up to an unmatched lifestyle that has attracted top class people from all corners of the country. However, behind the shining exterior of the glass and chrome structures of the Millennium City, lies a dark underbelly, which is experienced daily by many residents and also the thousands of office goers who come here to work. The glitter of the money has been so strong that the basic maladies have remained (conveniently) hidden… but they are now assuming monstrous proportions. if the government and civil society do not take these seriously, then Gurgaon is likely to face an existential crisis. While the City has expanded very fast, and the population is increasing exponentially, the government as well as the private sector have failed to create adequate infrastructure here. The roads are creaking, and there is no worthwhile public transport infrastructure; people have to depend on shared autos, which ply totally unregulated, to commute across Gurgaon. While those who are rich and affluent can afford moving about in private cars, there is a large population that has to walk to work, and this includes even executives coming from across Delhi and NCR. The shared autos pack people like animals, and herd them to destinations without giving any thought to safety or security. While the car owners are secured by their safety belts, the auto commuter have to hold on to each other, and depend on the mercy of the drivers for their daily safety. These unregulated monsters on the roads of Gurgaon create traffic jams, are involved in multiple accidents, and are the prime contributors of pollution, but the authorities have failed to check their unrivalled preeminence on the roads of the City. The City Bus service, which was launched with much fanfare, has been a poor performer –in terms of routes, frequency and timing. There are also very few bus queue shelters in the City. People cannot afford to depend on this unreliable mode of transport. The new government in Haryana and the new Administration in Gurgaon will have to ensure that a proper transport infrastructure and system is created, so that the city remains competitive and aspirational. Further, the people of Gurgaon have been hearing (for the last 10 years) that a new bus stand would be set up - but nothing has even started. Even the current bus stand is in poor shape, offering very poor facilities for the hapless, option-less commuters. Similar is the situation at the Civil Hospital, which has seen little development in the last two decades though the population has grown manyfold, and world class private hospitals have come up in ‘new’ Gurgaon. The result is that the poor and lower middle class population is suffering badly.
A major problem that can be easily resolved, if the authorities want to do so, is the removal of encroachments across the City, particularly in ‘old’ Gurgaon, and also on major roads and markets in HUDA sectors. While commuters find it difficult to move on Gurgaon roads, it is estimated that more than 5,000 illegal 'rehris' and shops are operating without any permission from the City Administration…but surely in collusion with the ‘system’. For a city of about 15 lakhs (officially, and over 20 lakhs ‘actually’), there are just a few public conveniences on Gurgaon roads, and even prominent intersections like Rajiv Chowk and IFFCO Chowk does not have public toilets. The result is that hundreds of people can be seen relieving themselves on roadsides. If the authorities are serious, they should either build public toilets from their own money, or give the contract to a private company to set up these facilities and charge from the public. Inspiration could be taken from NDMC, which has created nice, workable public facilities under PPP mode in the national capital. One can daily see a most pathetic sight is at Sadar Bazar, where a small room has been converted into a (paid) ‘public’ toilet. Long lines can be seen in front of this facility, as only three or four people at a time can use this dingy, cramped room. There is little maintenance, and the smell is overpowering. People have to brush against each other to reach the urinal. Is this how MCG is going to continue to serve the citizens? MCG faces two other major challenges: first, the collection of waste and its disposal at Bandhwari (now defunct); second, the processing of a large amount of construction & demolition waste (‘malba’), which would probably continue for at least a decade more. The Corporation will have to urgently and earnestly take charge of at least those areas where it has jurisdiction. The new BJP government in Haryana is supportive of the fact that Gurgaonites have supported it immensely, and MCG should take advantage of this and get approval for the development of quality infrastructure in the City, particularly to manage the urgent civic problems. The City is also the major contributor to the revenue of Haryana, and clearly a decent part of this money should be reinvested in this City so that it remains competitive as a business destination, and continues to be a place booming with positive energy. It does not augur well for Haryana that industry captains and CEOs have to every now and then come on the road and demand basic infrastructure and facilities for the citizens - which is the solemn duty of the State. While there are a lot of other problems, if the government is able to handle the issues highlighted, then Gurgaon would continue to develop, and earn its spurs as a Metro city within the next decade.
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