GMDA told to inspect Gurugram roads monthly, prioritise pedestrian safety

Officials reviewed key infrastructure projects, including the 27km water pipeline, drainage works in Sectors 88-115 and upgrades at Town Park.

With the condition of city roads and footpaths drawing frequent criticism, principal advisor to the Haryana urban development department, D.S. Dhesi, on Tuesday issued strict directions for their maintenance and made pedestrian safety a key agenda during a review meeting at the GMDA office.

GMDA told to inspect Gurugram roads monthly, prioritise pedestrian safety

Dhesi directed sub-divisional engineers to inspect roads under their jurisdiction once every month and submit a factual report to the executive engineer concerned. Executive engineers, in turn, have been asked to conduct quarterly inspections to ensure that constructing agencies adhere to quality standards during the defects liability period (DLP).

“Emphasis was laid on close monitoring of newly constructed roads and strict adherence to timelines for all major infrastructure projects across Gurugram,” a GMDA spokesperson said.

Taking note of a recent Supreme Court judgment underscoring pedestrian rights, Dhesi instructed all agencies to ensure that footpaths across the city are safe, uninterrupted, and walkable. Stretches with heavy footfall, he said, must be taken up on priority.

The condition of footpaths in most parts of the city remains abysmal, with many roads either lacking walkable infrastructure or in a state of disrepair. GMDA chief executive officer P.C. Meena had recently stated that improving road infrastructure and making them pedestrian-friendly would be a key focus area for the authority.

As a first step, Dhesi directed GMDA to develop pedestrian-friendly footpaths from Rajiv Chowk to the Tower of Justice, given the heavy movement of people in this corridor.

The meeting also reviewed progress on the 27km water transmission pipeline from the Chandu Budhera water treatment plant (WTP) to the Sector 72 boosting station. Chief engineer (infrastructure-2), R.S. Jangra, informed that nearly 22km of the pipeline has been successfully tested and all 25 leakages detected during testing have been rectified. Testing and completion of the remaining 5km stretch is currently underway, officials said.

Jangra also reported that the pipeline project to Gwal Pahari is progressing as per schedule. Upon completion, GMDA will supply approximately 19.5 million litres per day (MLD) of treated water to Gwal Pahari and adjoining residential societies.

Reviewing the balance drainage network in Sectors 88 to 115, executive engineer Vikram Singh informed that around 90km of the network has already been laid. Nearly 6.5km of the remaining network is currently under execution by GMDA, while the balance portion is being developed by Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP).

Maintenance of the nearly 20-acre Town Park in Sectors 21, 22, and 23 also came up for discussion. Officials informed that repair of the park’s boundary wall is in progress, while a fountain will be installed under corporate social responsibility (CSR) funding.