Gurgaon residents up in arms against NHAI

Residents and members of various industrial associations have called a protest on Wednesday against National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the concessionaire company managing the Gurgaon Expressway.

Residents and members of various industrial associations have called a protest on Wednesday against National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and the concessionaire company managing the Gurgaon Expressway.

HT Image

Their grievance is that the authorities have blocked a peripheral road leading from Udyog Vihar and other residential colonies to the expressway just ahead of the toll plaza.

Residents claim if the parallel road is opened, nearly 15,000 vehicles emanating from nearby colonies can use it and help decongest the main expressway.

The associations claimed commuters are ready to pay toll on this new road and NHAI can set up a separate booth here.
Following repeated requests by industrialists of Udyog Vihar, the peripheral road was constructed by the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) in October last year to allow vehicles coming out from Udyog Vihar and other residential colonies such as Palam Vihar, Sector 21, 22, 23 and 23A enter Delhi.

Using this way, commuters could avoid the busy Shankar Chowk crossing as well as the 32-lane toll plaza especially during peak hours.

NHAI officials have, however, put their foot down and are not ready to open this alternate road.

"We cannot operate beyond the concessionaire agreement entered with the DSC Limited, the expressway managing firm. It is the top brass of NHAI that can allow setting up of an alternate toll booth under the guidelines of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. We are yet to get a proper proposal from HSIIDC for allowing vehicles to be diverted on the service road," said a NHAI official.

Col Raj Singla, president, Chamber of Industries of Udyog Vihar, said the road in Phase-3 has been blocked by DSC Limited.

This road is an important main road for us for which we have been requesting HSIIDC for a long time that the last leg near the exit be completed so that already congested traffic conditions in Udyog Vihar are able to get relief. After our sustained effort, when the road has been made use-worthy, it is to our surprise that DSC Ltd is now denying us access to the Service road and has blocked the road by dumping huge pile of dug up earth and parking their dumpers and other heavy materials."