Ward 11 residents struggle with waterlogging, poor infrastructure, and rising crime

Gurugram's Ward 11 faces rising crime, poor infrastructure, and frequent waterlogging, prompting residents to demand urgent improvements from local officials.

With a population of above 200,000 and 38,650 registered voters, Gurugram’s Ward 11, which includes Rajendra Park, Daulatabad, Anand Garden, Ashok Garden, and Surat Nagar Phase 1, is grappling with rising crime rates, deteriorating infrastructure, and dilapidated roads.

Surat Nagar 1 in Gurugram Sector 104 extension in Ward 11 on Friday. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The most pressing problems include frequent waterlogging during the monsoon. According to residents, with just a few minutes of rainfall, junior engineers of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited snap the power supply of a large part of the ward. They said that the outage continues for three to four hours once snapped and the officials don’t even respond to the phone calls for complaint or knowing about status.

The unavailability of public transport compounds these issues, forcing people to rely on expensive private alternatives.

Residents said that they don’t have a proper access road to the nearest cremation ground located in Bhimgarh Kheri village. They said a makeshift pathway has been created by making a breach in a wall along the railway tracks behind the ward, but this is a safety hazard especially for the Rajendra Park residents who all use it.

Residents have high expectations from the incoming MLA, hoping that their long-standing issues will finally be addressed. The demands are clear — better drainage systems, long-term solution to clogged sewers and poor water management in the ward, regular cleaning of sewers, timely garbage collection, and better overall sanitation services, immediate action to repair broken roads, improve infrastructure, stronger police presence and better law enforcement.

POLICE QUOTE.

Nishant Kumar Yadav, deputy commissioner of Gurugram, said the issues have come to his notice. “Now we are aware of the challenges that residents in Ward 11 are facing, especially with waterlogging and sanitation. Our teams are working to find long-term solutions. We have already initiated several plans to improve the sewer systems and drainage infrastructure.”

Narhari Singh Bangar, municipal commissioner of Gurugram, said, “MCG is focused on addressing the issues related to infrastructure in Ward 11. We have deployed additional personnel to manage waterlogging during the rainy season, and we are working on resolving the sanitation concerns that have been raised. We understand the frustrations of the residents and are committed to finding sustainable solutions.”

Deteriorating law and order

Reports of drunken brawls and snatchings are common in the ward, even in daytime or night, according to police.

Police said that more than 20 vehicles on average are stolen per month in the ward while 11 snatchings of mobile phones and chains have been reported in the last two months.

Police said there are multiple police stations in the ward.

“There have been several instances of people getting mugged or attacked in our area even in the daytime. The police patrols are infrequent, and there’s a general sense of insecurity, especially among women,” said Neha Agarwal, who lives in Ashok Garden.

A senior police officer said that they have directed police teams from Sector 5 and Rajendra Park police stations to take rounds at night. “The liquor shop owners have been instructed not to allow anyone to drink in open and only to serve in Anumat Kaksh (drinking place). We will start imposing penalties to curb this menace,” he said requesting anonymity.

Residents said their expectation is to have a proper patrolling team at night and to keep a check on liquor vends offering liquor and allowing to drink in open.

Waterlogging, overflowing sewers

“Whenever it rains, the entire area becomes a mess. The waterlogging is so severe that it floods our homes and shops. Walking on the roads becomes impossible because the water mixes with the overflowing sewers,” said Ravi Yadav, a resident of Rajendra Park. The problem is exacerbated by the area’s low-lying topography.

Vishnu Garden, another part of the ward, faces some of the worst conditions. According to residents, the sewers overflow onto the roads throughout the year, creating a breeding ground for mosquitoes and making it difficult for pedestrians.

“The condition of Vishnu Garden is unbearable. It doesn’t matter if it rains or not, the entire area continues to be a mess for the entire year due to continuously overflowing sewer pipelines which is the outcome of clogging. In case of rainfall, the situation becomes severe. One can’t even think of venturing out safely,” said Aman Hooda, a resident. “Every time it rains, we have to deal with sewer water coming up through the drains and spreading on the roads. It’s been this way for years, and no one has done anything to fix the inundation from the sewer water which remains round the year,” he added.

Residents say that despite repeated complaints to junior engineers and officials from the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), no one responds to their calls or takes any action.

“The sewers are completely clogged, and the water comes back into the houses. We have rung the officials countless times, but they neither respond nor field employees or junior engineers visit us,” said Sunil Malhotra, a local shopkeeper.

Bad roads

Residents said that MCG officials had dug up the main approach road to Vishnu Garden almost 1.5 years ago to lay a sewer pipeline but they didn’t rebuild it which has resulted in craters and waterlogging over a 200-300-metre stretch.

“The roads are in such a bad condition that it feels like we’re driving through a war-torn area where large and deep craters have been created from explosions,” said Anil Gupta, who runs a small business in Daulatabad Industrial Area. “There has been no repair work for the last several years. Every time it rains, the roads get worse, and navigating through the potholes is nearly impossible. It’s a disaster waiting to happen,” he added.

“It’s shocking that even 50 years after it was developed, there has been no attempt to improve the basic infrastructure in the area. The population has grown but the infrastructure hasn’t kept up pace and has in fact deteriorated. We require honest ministers and bureaucrats to fix the system,” said Suresh Singh, a retired government employee and long-time resident of Surat Nagar Phase 1.

Public transport

Many areas in the ward have no access to affordable transportation options, forcing residents to either walk long distances or rely on autorickshaws and private taxis. Even the Gurugram metropolitan city bus limited does not have bus routes to properly connect the areas of this ward, especially impacting women, senior citizens, and school and college students.

“There are no buses, and the nearest Metro station is far away. We’re completely dependent on autorickshaws which charge a lot of money and at whim as the district administration could never ensure that they run on meter. It’s difficult to manage transportation costs every day,” said Anita Verma, a resident of Mahalaxmi Garden.

Demand for cremation ground

Bhimgarh Kheri is the nearest cremation ground to the ward but residents, especially those in Rajendra Park, have to cross the railway tracks to reach there. Residents said that other locations are two to eight kilometres away and a lot of time is wasted on the Daultabad flyover due to traffic jams.

Vinod Sharma Meenu, a resident of Rajendra Park, said that it will be extremely convenient for them if authorities develop a cremation ground in their ward. “Residents have written to civic officials multiple times especially during the Covid-19 pandemic but they are yet to take any action on it,” he said.

Only two primary schools in ward

Despite a population more 200,000, the area only has two functional primary schools from Class 1 to Class 5 at Surat Nagar and Anand Garden.

They said that at least two schools with classes up to 12th are required for the area. Advocate Rohit Madan, a Rajendra Park resident, said that the school at Anand Garden runs in two shifts and the other one in a single shift to prevent overcrowding as the rooms are small.

“Girls attend the senior secondary schools in Bhim Nagar and Jacobpura and boys the one in Daultabad, but which again is overcrowded,” he said.

Mahendra Shamra, a resident of Vishnu Garden, said, “The population of neighbouring areas and connected villages are also dependent on the infrastructure available in the ward. At least two schools of senior secondary level are required for the ward which will tremendously ease the financial pressure on parents who are forced to send children to far away private schools,” he added.

Daily traffic jams

Residents said that after the opening of the Dwarka Expressway and development of new sectors along it, the pressure on the narrow Daultabad flyover has increased resulting in severe traffic jams throughout the day. The congestion is so severe that it daily causes queues of vehicles which reach up till the Sector 5 roundabout. Multiple diversions or changes in road structures that have been made till now have been unable to ease the pressure.

“There is no red light in the area and diversions for vehicles are very confusing. There is an underpass in the area and it and the underpass project connecting Surat Nagar to Laxman Nagar can reduce snarls on the flyover if the authorities divert the heavy vehicles towards the Bajghera and Sector 9 flyover,” said Madan. He added that there was no scope of broadening it as residential houses are located on both sides. He said the government should begin construction on the Surat Nagar-Laxman Nagar underpass project as soon as possible.