Abhishek Behl, www.merinews.com
Poor infrastructure is hampering the growth of Gurgaon often referred to as cyber city in India. While the city may be on the fast lane on the information highway but in real world growth is suffering due to a medieval road network.
If you ever wanted to participate in a desert rally but were not able to do so, then come to Gurgaon. You don’t have to spend a fortune to experience the rush of adrenalin, no need of registering just drive on.
It is not as if some real estate developer has created a mini-desert amidst the high rise malls in the much acclaimed cyber city.
Just hit the roads in Gurgaon and you will realize how it feels moving in the clouds.
Albeit the clouds are full of dust and smoke and to evade these you have to shut your eyes, nose and ears.
But there is no escape, if dust doesn’t get you then potholes will, says Devender Singh, an MBA student and resident of Palam Vihar, adding that poor road infrastructure puts a question mark over its tag as a cyber-city.
“The road from Palam Vihar to railway station is in shambles. Just pass though it near the Spanish Court and you will be absorbed in dust”, he lamented, “the visibility becomes so low that it can prove fatal.”
Though an eight-lane expressway between Delhi and Gurgoan has improved the connectivity between two cities and reduced the traveling time, but poor condition of local roads is threatening to slow the strong business growth.
The one-kilometer stretch between Dundahera and Kapashera on the old Delhi road is a nightmare as poor road coupled with large number of auto-rickshaws tests the driving skills to the maximum.
Rakesh Singh, who commutes daily on his bike from Dwarka in Delhi to his office in Sector 14, Gurgaon, said that he dreaded the daily drive on the potholed roads full of dust. “I hope I do not become asthmatic because of the smoke and dust on the roads”, he added.
Here, it is to be added that with software companies flocking to the Cyber city, the demand for better infrastructure has never been so strong.
Sandeep Kumar, a business manager , said that condition of the roads is to be seen to be believed.
“My office is located in Sector-44 amongst a large number of plush offices but the condition of roads makes it tough to work”, he said, adding that a lot of time is lost in negotiating the holes in the roads.
Not only time is lost but poor road infrastructure also has a negative impact on the foreign employees and businessmen visiting the cyber-city, he added.
Even as people suffer due to poor infrastructure, the government has announced a slew of measures to improve the road network.
There are plans to construct roads between Vasant Kunj and DLF Phase III, Dwarka to Palam Vihar and Mehruli to DLF City.
Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has announced his approval to the appointment of a high-level committee to coordinate the development of new road links between Gurgaon and Delhi.
Haryana Urban Development Authority officials, however, maintain that constant efforts are being made to ensure that quality roads are available to the commuters.
Superintendent Engineer, Suresh Kumar Kharb, while talking to merinews informed that in order to improve the road network and ease congestion, HUDA had constructed bye-pass near Sikanderpur at the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road.
This byepass, he said would help the commuters greatly, another initiative was to increase the breadth of Sector 55-56 road which connects it to Sohna road.
“As far as potholes and dust on the road in the city is concerned the work has been hampered due to a Storm-water drainage project being undertaken by PHE department”, he said, adding that as soon as the project is over, HUDA will take up work on the old railway road as well as Pataudi road.
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