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Indirapuram: Voters point to lack of Metro connectivity, Ganga water supply
Little wonder then that these assembly elections, they are pinning their hopes, and votes, on the candidate that will prioritise their needs
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Having paid through their noses for a luxurious lifestyle in the opulent hub of high-rises, residents of Indirapuram now find themselves running pillar to post for basic amenities -- a government health-care facility, public transport options, Metro connectivity, and Ganga water supply, to name a few.
Little wonder then that these assembly elections, they are pinning their hopes, and votes, on the candidate that will prioritise their needs.
With over 65 high-rise residential societies, Indirapuram has 1.70 lakh (170,000) registered voters under the Sahibabad assembly constituency -- one of five assembly segments in Ghaziabad district and the largest one in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
According to residents, some of their key demands are traffic management, public transport, government healthcare, and proper water supply and sewage system.
The Sahibabad constituency is currently represented by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Sunil Kumar Sharma, who defeated Congress’s Amarpal Sharma by a margin of 150,685 votes in the 2017 elections.
This year,too, the BJP is banking on Sunil Kumar for a win from the assembly segment, while Amarpal Sharma is contesting against him on the Samajwadi Party (SP)-Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) alliance ticket.
The other candidates in the fray include Congress’s Sangeeta Tyagi, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP)’s Ajit Kumar Pal, and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Dr Chhavi Yadav.
Residents said while their neighbourhood could boast of some of the best malls in Delhi-NCR, what they needed was a proper drainage system. While there are numerous private hospitals there, what they do not have is a decent government hospital.
Alok Kumar, founder of the Federation of Apartment Owners’ Association (FedAOA), Ghaziabad, said the need for a government hospital was acutely felt, especially after the Covid pandemic hit.
“During the second wave last year, there was a dire need for a government hospital as there were no beds to be found anywhere, and private hospitals charged a hefty amount. In fact, the demand for a government hospital is long pending and predates even the pandemic,” he said.
He said a number of infrastructure projects in Indirapuram were stalled due to the handover logjam between the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA), which developed the township, and Ghaziabad municipal corporation since 2017. After several protests by local councillors, talks between the authority and the corporation commenced in 2018. While the GDA claims that it is ready to hand over the township, the corporation says the GDA first needs to fix several infrastructure deficiencies before it can take over the township.
Another demand of the residents is public transport.
“Indirapuram does not have any local bus service and residents rely on three-wheelers (auto-rickshaws) to commute. Residents have also demanded connectivity from Noida’s Electronic City Metro station to Indirapuram’s CISF Road. We hope that these issues are part of the candidates’ agenda,” said Anil Sharma, general secretary of FedAOA.
Traffic management, or the lack of it, is also an issue, say residents, adding that driving around the swanky township is a hassle, owing to jams.
“Even though the roads are wide enough, rampant encroachment has reduced the space available for traffic. Authorities have conducted several anti-encroachment drives, but the menace returns,” said Awadesh Jha, a resident of Shakti Khand-4.
Residents also said the Ganga water supply to high-rise societies is erratic at best. “We are scheduled to get Ganga water for one hour each in the morning and evening. However, even that is irregular. Moreover, just two hours of water supply a day for high-rise societies is highly insufficient,” said Lalit Mohan, member of Arihant Paradiso AOA in Ahinsa Khand-2, Indirapuram.
The sewage system has failed to keep up with the increasing population, said residents.
“Often during monsoon, sewage starts overflowing into localities. The sewage treatment plant in Indirapuram also overflows and needs redevelopment,” said Abhishek Singh, member of ATS Advantage AOA in Ahinsa Khand-1, Indirapuram.
MLA and BJP candidate Sunil Kumar Sharma said the issue of Indirapuram handover is his top agenda. “My priority is to resolve the issue of handover and it is my promise to residents that it will be resolved as soon as I am voted back to power,” he said.
He said during his tenure, new sewage lines were constructed in Indirapuram.
Amarpal Sharma from the SP-RLD combine said that one of his main objectives is to bring Metro connectivity to Indirapuram. “It is my agenda to bring the Noida Metro from Sector 62 to Sahibabad via Indirapuram. I will also work towards regularising Ganga water supply and construction of a government hospital and schools in the area,” he said.
Congress candidate Sangeeta Tyagi added, “Residents of Indirapuram are at the mercy of private players for hospitals as well as schools. Our main objective in this area is the construction of government facilities for residents.”
AAP’s Dr Chhavi Yadav said, “We will ensure that the area gets regular and sufficient Ganga water supply. Redevelopment of existing government schools is also on the agenda.”
According to psephologist Sanjay Kumar from the Centre for Society and Development Studies, Delhi, people’s affiliation to a party could play a key role in deciding how Sahibabad votes.
“Looking at the last elections, BJP has a large voter base in this constituency as Sunil Kumar Sharma won by the biggest margin. Civic issues also play an important role in the area. Unlike the rest of UP, caste-based politics is neutralised in Sahibabad as the main opponents from BJP and SP are both from the same caste,” he said.
