MCG elections: Poor civic services ail rich wards
Residents said during the monsoon, rain run-off settles on the streets and floods ground floor apartments
Though counted among the most posh areas of the city and home to upscale condominiums such as the ones in DLF phases 4 and 5, wards 32 and 33 of Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) are found wanting with regard to civic services.
In fact, to say basic provisions are limited to the condominiums isn’t an exaggeration.
Most roads are not motorable and riddled with potholes, say residents. Also, owing to the proximity of the wards to the Aravallis, they are flooded during the monsoon as rainwater settles on the streets and clogged drains fail to clear them.
Such is the extent of waterlogging in areas located on the Golf Course Extension Road that the rain run-off gushes into the ground floor apartments and the entry and exit points of most residential colonies are literally cut off from the main roads because of excess rainwater.
“It is impossible to venture outside the colony during peak monsoon. As the colony is situated on an incline, knee-deep rain water settles at the main gate and blocks passage. Rain water also seeps into ground floor apartments. I, along with my family members, move to my mother’s residents during this time to escape flooding,” Divya Surekha, a resident of Suncity, said.
Adding to the civic mess is the alleged delay in the process of transfer of private residential colonies from builders to the MCG. Residents said that in the absence of a nodal agency to address civic issues, developers and civic agencies shirk their responsibilities and passes the buck.
“Getting work done in the locality was next to impossible. We visited every available authority, only to be turned away. We soon lost interest in this game of musical chairs and took the onus on ourselves. Last year, we raised ₹3.5 lakh to fix a 500-metre stretch of road,” Ravish Malik, a resident of Sushant Lok Phase 1, said.
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Suncity and Sushant Lok Phase 1 are two of the nine colonies that are to be transferred from private developers to the MCG.
While residents said civic amenities are adequate within DLF Phase 4 and DLF 5, traffic on the main roads is a major concern.
“Getting out of the colony to the main road is next to impossible. Due to a school, fuel stations, hospital, a village and MNC’s, regular snarls are reported on the road. We held protests against construction of fuel stations in the locality, but it had little effect on the authorities. They were built and went into operation. This time, I will vote for a candidate who promises to deal with this issue on priority,” Aniket Kapoor, a resident of West End Heights, said.
Since these wards comprise upscale areas, land prices in nearby villages have literally shot through the roof. Similar to the Shahpur Jat village in New Delhi, the nearby Chakkarpur village has undergone a demographic shift and is well on way to having an equal mix of urban and rural population.
“While I cannot disagree that the village has undergone a tremendous transformation over the last decade, basic needs such as electric supply and clearance of garbage remain a concern. On paper, there are two solid waste management compost plants in the village, but they merely serve as dumping grounds,” Brijesh Pal, a resident of Chakkarpur village, said.