MCG elections: Civic neglect a bugbear for residents of ward 34

Residents want a councillor who can take up issues with the private developer and Municipal Corporation of Gurugram

Though home to some of the most affluent areas of the city such as DLF phases 1 and 2, sectors 42, 27, 29 and Essel Towers, ward 34 of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) is no laggard when it comes to civic issues.

Roads in DLF Phase-1, which is part of ward 34, are badly damaged near Qutub Plaza market. (Parveen Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Even the sprawling residences and flashy lifestyle of people does little to mask the glaring civic deficiencies, topping which are potholed roads and waterlogging. And, to top it all, it is often a matter of debate as to who is responsible for fixing civic issues in this ward.

While the process of transfer of DLF phases 1 and 2 from the private developer to the MCG is on anvil, the onus of addressing civic issues in sectors 27 and 29 was on the Haryana urban development authority (Huda) till last year. However, the mantle is in the process of being taken by the MCG as well.

In the absence of a nodal agency to carry out civic maintenance and address civic issues in the area, residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) often pool resources to fix local civic issues.

While there’s no fix for the civic issues plaguing the ward, for residents, the forthcoming municipal elections is an opportunity to elect a councillor who can take up their grievances with the MCG and the developer and serve as a mediator in solving issues.

“Despite repeated complaints to the developer and the MCG, rainwater has continued to flood our ground floors and basements for the last two years. The drains have not been cleaned for a long time and are heavily silted. Due to the heavy silt deposit, they are not capable of draining out the rain run-off during the monsoon or discharging sewage. I hope our new councillor will take an active interest in addressing and solving these civic problems,” Nidhi Grewal, a resident of DLF Phase 2, said.

Such is the extent of damage to the arterial road leading from Essel Tower towards Sector 27 that residents have to take a detour through Sushant Lok Phase 1 to reach their destinations.

“I visit the nearby Galleria market quite often. Although there is a shorter route through the back gate of my colony, residents avoid that stretch, as the roads are so bad that one has to drive at 15kmph. The stretch worsens during the monsoon, as it’s filled with potholes. I will cast my vote in the MCG elections in the hope of a change to the prevailing civic scenario,” Tina Khanna, a resident of Essel Towers, said.

The only village in ward 34 is Sikanderpur, which has a mix of urban and rural population owing to its proximity to the Delhi Metro, Mall Mile and Golf Course Road. It is precisely because of its connectivity and proximity to urban landmarks that the village has plenty of PG (paying guest) and rented accommodation for the working class.

However, in the recent past, the village’s connectivity to MG Road and Golf Course Road has been disrupted in no small measure by a series of underpasses built between Golf Course Road and Cyber City. Residents claimed these underpasses have pushed them to a corner.

“I own several apartments in Sikanderpur and lease it out to professionals, as they find the area to be a suitable location to settle in because of affordable rents. However, since the start of this year, I have lost a large number of tenants as they no longer had direct access to their offices and had to undertake long diversions to reach there. I can’t imagine why the authorities couldn’t design the roads keeping the village in mind,” Sunil Yadav, a resident of Sikanderpur, said.