Encroachments, broken roads make commuting difficult on Old Delhi Gurgaon road - Hindustan Times
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Encroachments, broken roads make commuting difficult on Old Delhi Gurgaon road

By, Gurugram
May 31, 2023 12:21 AM IST

Residents said the adjoining Rao Gajraj Singh Marg, the Tenon Toad and Sushil Aima Road are also in a bad condition

Residents of sectors 21, 22, 23, Palam Vihar and condominiums along the Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road are finding it difficult to commute on the road stretch that once was the only route to Delhi. They said despite them paying their municipal and development taxes on time, nothing has been done to repair the Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road, the condition of which has worsened over time.

A potholed stretch on the Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road near Gurgaon One Apartments. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)
A potholed stretch on the Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road near Gurgaon One Apartments. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Residents said the adjoining Rao Gajraj Singh Marg in Udyog Vihar, the Tenon Toad in front of Gurgaon One residential complex and the adjoining Sushil Aima Road are also in a bad condition with green belts encroached upon by vendors.

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The issue of upkeep and maintenance of the Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road, which connects the city with Delhi, has been further complicated by the transfer of a part of the road (4.6km), from ITPL to Atul Kataria Chowk, to the National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC), which is building a rapid rail project from Delhi to Behrore.

Currently, three agencies -- the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and NCRTC -- are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of this road.

Saket Singh, president, Gurgaon One residents’ welfare association, said the condition of the Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road and the other adjoining roads is so bad that it has become difficult for residents to reach their homes.

“These roads are damaged and riddled with potholes. There are no footpaths along any of these stretches and in places where they do exist, the footpaths have been encroached upon by vendors. All roads leading to our society, both from Delhi and Gurugram, are congested, and without traffic lights. Poor enforcement makes matters worse,” he said.

Residents also said despite the repeated announcements made by authorities, the condition of the Rao Gajraj Singh Marg, which connects Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road with NH-8, has also worsened.

“The entire Rao Gajraj Singh Marg has developed large potholes. During the monsoon, the whole road gets severely waterlogged,” said Kirat Prathambir, a resident of the condominium.

Apart from the poor condition of roads, residents said a large drain -- from Krishna Chowk to Rao Gajraj Singh Marg -- along the Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road has remained dug up since the past one year even though no work is taking place there, putting the lives of commuters and residents at risk.

“The drain is full of sewage and is not properly fenced. An accident is just waiting to happen. We are also worried about the lack of safety of pedestrians as streetlights are not functional,” said Samir Agrawal, treasurer, Gurgaon One RWA.

Manoj Kumar, executive engineer, MCG, said they have carried out a portion of the drain work. The budgeted estimate was spent after the agency constructed an RCC [reinforced cement concrete ] drain. “The people in the area protested against a brick drain and asked us to construct an RCC drain. We have reworked the budget and sent it for approval. We will get this work completed soon. As far as barricading is concerned, I will direct the team to ensure that barricading is carried out,” he said.

Encroachments on the main road, and the adjoining Sushil Aima Marg, are another problem, said residents. “The entire road in front of the Sector 22 market has been encroached on by vendors. Vehicles stop in the middle of the road and cause jams. There is a need to enforce traffic rules,” said Pawan Kumar, a real estate consultant in Sector 22 market.

The residents also alleged that there are several spots on Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road -- near the Shani temple, and near the CNG pump -- where garbage is dumped regularly. “We want the authorities to take action and ensure that streetlights are installed, garbage dumps removed and traffic lights fixed at Krishna Chowk, Jwala Mill crossing and other critical points,” said Ruchi Agrawal, another resident.

Amit Godara, executive engineer, GMDA, said, “As far as Rao Gajraj Singh Marg is concerned, we will start repair work as soon as the rain stops. The rainfall has been erratic this year because of which maintenance has been affected. Other adjoining roads under GMDA will also be repaired on priority.”

A GMDA official said the road stretch from ITPL to Atul Kataria Chowk has been transferred to NCRTC as the pre-construction work on the rapid rail project is going on.

But a spokesperson of the NCRTC said it is not doing any work there.

“NCRTC has completed the road widening of the existing GMDA road between IDPL to Atul Kataria Chowk (4.6km) in March 2022. The road was in fine condition at that time. There are a number of works being carried out by other agencies on that road, such as water pipe line laying by MCG, which requires excavation of the bituminous road layer,” the spokesperson said.

With regards to improving street lighting, NCRTC has submitted the fund requirement to MCG in January 2020 for providing 216 streetlight poles between IDPL to Atul Kataria Chowk. “The request is currently pending and regular reminders are being sent to the authorities, “ the spokesperson added. .

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Abhishek Behl is principal correspondent, Hindustan Times in Gurgaon Bureau. He covers infrastructure, planning and civic agencies in the city. He has been covering Gurgaon as correspondent for the last 10 years, and has written extensively on the city.

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