Photo: Prakhar Pandey
Is Gurgaon fast turning into a hellhole? Or is there still hope for the citizens of this City to get the infrastructure that was once touted as one of the best planned after Chandigarh? The jaded look, the dust, the traffic snarls, the potholes, the parking distress…often the Gurgaon scenario resembles a nightmare! Ward number 18 is the largest in Gurgaon, comprising Baraf Nagar, Civil Lines, Friends Colony, HVPNL Colony, Jacubpura, Kirti Nagar, Patel Nagar, Police Lines, Roshanpura and Sec 15-1. This Ward is considered the heart of Gurgaon. It is also the most prized residential area on the ‘old’ Gurgaon side of the e-way. This is where top bureaucrats and senior government officials reside. The Ward has been likened to a lotus in the otherwise dirty waters. Maybe apt, because it is clearly not all roses. A former Councillor, Thakran, says that this place is very close to his heart. "But I am not really happy with the development of this Ward," he adds. One of the bigger issues here is the heavy traffic and limited parking space. "Adding to the traffic woes are the vendors, whose carts spill onto the roads, using up all free spaces; they also encroach parking lots. With pedestrians thus having to fight for walking space, the vehicles can only crawl at snail’s space. The vendors are none too happy either. Says a fruit seller, “We are always blamed for the congestion on the roads and are often shunted out. No one actually checks if the cars are parked in an orderly manner. Drivers must be disciplined. After all, this is one of the busiest roads.” According to pedestrians as well as commuters, the police presence in congested areas is often found wanting. At Sadar Bazar, where vehicular movement is heavy, traffic snarls are a regular feature.
Thakran highlights other issues, such as ‘swachhta’, rather the lack of it, and of course the poor sewerage system. “It is a menace, especially when it rains. Sadar Bazar, once the biggest market in Gurgaon, is also one of the dirtiest. Ideally MCG should be maintaining it in partnership with the people who own businesses there. The swachh andolan has become more of a debate among the people than any actual, meaningful action,” he says. He is happy that the cleaners employed by MCG do come in the morning to clean some of the waste and dirt. ”There is need for greater cohesion and co-operation between MCG authorities and the people who use the market place. Only the civic authorities cannot be blamed for the accumulated filth everywhere,” he says.
However, he quickly adds, “MCG does not lack in manpower nor does it suffer from financial weakness. It is up to the Councillor and his team to set things right.” He laments the fact that every colony does not have a post office and school.
Residents of Jacubpura and Kirti Nagar complain about the poor drainage system. Kapish, a resident, says the area suffers both from a poor sewerage system as well as shortage of water. The sewage as well as water pipes are damaged in several places. “We have made umpteen complaints to the authorities for their repair, because waste water and water for use in households are spilling into each other, causing severe health hazards,” Kapish says. He also complains about the poor drainage system, leading to clogging in many areas. “There is a lot of filth in some areas and the smell from it is horrible,” he says.
The children in the colonies of Ward 18 have no playgrounds. Besides, the Ward also lacks a community centre. RWA President of Patel Nagar, Deepchand Chaudhury, laments, “There are no schools either. Further, the proximity of high tension lines poses a life threat to the people, especially those who living on the streets. As many as 120 persons have lost their lives in the past ten years due to short circuits. This needs immediate action,” says Chaudhury. He does have a few words of praise for the current Councillor. “He has been very active. Some new roads have been constructed, though some roads (over which there are high tension wires) need to be extended through the Bund area, to open up an emergency route.” The Bund is quite a controversial topic. Once upon a time this bund was clear and properly maintained. According to the people living around it, the MCG cleaners are not doing their work properly. The area is also infested with pigs, which adds to the general filth. The colony is not too safe either; poor street lighting has made it a haven for drunks, who often cause a lot of nuisance.
Councillor Subhash Chand says, “Most of the allegations are quite untrue. The civic authorities have been doing their job diligently. We have worked hard in many of the areas where problems were detected. These are ongoing issues and we are trying to resolve the problems one by one.” Chand adds that all the roads in every colony have been well constructed, and MCG workers undertake cleaning every day. On the question of the dangers from the high-tension lines, Chand says that the authorities are taking appropriate action. “We have already filed a case and the matter is sub judice,” he says. Regarding the water problem in the area, Chand says that special efforts are being made for the supply of tubewell water for meeting any water shortages. He denies any issues with the sewerage system in the area.
Chand admits that some problems do remain. “Yes, we have not been able to provide proper playgrounds for children, because we do not have space to develop a playground or community center. As for the Bund, we can’t do anything because it is under the Forest department and they have not agreed to our proposal to connect it to the roads in the Ward, and nor are they willing to allow us to make any further development around that area.”
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