Bumpy drive for suburb residents

Since last two years, commuting has become a major headache for residents of Palam, Rajokri and Kapashera.

Since last two years, commuting has become a major headache for residents of Palam, Rajokri and Kapashera.

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Reason: the only road connecting the areas to National Highway 8 is under construction, thanks to a drain being built there.

Also, the 10 farmhouses located on this 1-km stretch are used for weddings, and with the wedding season round the corner, residents expect the situation to worsen.

"The situation was bad during the monsoon as the road was submerged in water. The waterlogged road became a breeding ground for dengue and malaria mosquitoes," said Ashwini Bahadur, a resident of the area.

Rajokri Road is the key link between NH-8 and the Rajokri flyover. It is connected to the Old Palam-Gurgaon road, touching the areas of Kapashera, Samalkha, Bijwasan and Najafgarh.

According to the residents, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) awarded the contract to construct a drain from Rajokri village to Samalkha chowk to a private company.

"There are cave-ins all over the stretch and cars getting stuck in potholes are a routine sight. The bikers always drive on the wrong side and sometimes on the pedestrian pavements. There is heavy traffic movement in the area despite large signages indicating restriction," Bahadur added.

The residents claimed that in January 2009, the MCD dug up the road for sewage pipeline on one side of it and by July 2009, they had completed laying the pipeline.

"In September 2009, they again started digging the road and began constructing a drainage system for storm water with manholes on the other side of the road. This led to major traffic chaos and a temporary tar road was constructed. But this too led to major cave-ins and large potholes," said Sunanda Singh, another resident of the area.

The contractors who are working on the project said the road needed to be constructed again because unless the entire stretch was raised to the same level, the drainage system would not work.

"This drainage system is a part of the one we are constructing around the airport. The nearby areas will also be connected and we will finish the project soon. Due to Commonwealth Games, the workers had left the city but now they are back," said a senior MCD official.