Sector 44, one of Gurugram’s premium business addresses, battles poor civic amenities

Sector 44, located near Huda City Centre Metro station, is one of the premium business addresses, as it was developed as an institutional sector.

Home to some of the top corporates, internet startups and IT companies in Gurugram, Sector 44 disappoints when it comes to civic facilities.

Several roads of Grugram’s Sector 44, where many offices of many national and international companies are located, are broken. (HT Photo)

The internal roads are broken and potholed and garbage can be seen strewn across the area. Hundreds of executives, who work in this institutional sector are forced to wade through waterlogged roads, crisscross the potholes while trying to save their backs and their vehicles from getting damaged.

The sector, located near Huda City Centre Metro station is one of the premium business addresses, as it was developed as an institutional sector.

Recently, it was transferred to the Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG) as part of the larger plan of Haryana government that all maintenance in the city should be done by the corporation. However, this shift has not done much except changing the ownership, allege the stakeholders.

“The condition of the internal roads in this sector is pathetic and despite repeated requests to the authorities, little work has been done to improve basic amenities. Large potholes make it difficult to drive,” says Vishal Shrivastava, who works in a major advertising and media company.

Some top executives complained that it becomes difficult for them to explain to their guests from abroad as to why such an important business address is so poorly maintained when it comes to civic infrastructure. “Six months ago, some authority took up construction of roads but all of these have broken,” said a senior executive preferring anonymity.

Firms having offices in the sector further allege that the maintenance is poor and as a result the basic infrastructure has gone from bad to worse. “Illegal commercial activities are rampant in this sector and another major problem is unauthorised parking. There is a large park but its condition is really bad as water from eateries and even offices is discharged into it. The park has turned it into a sewage pond,” said Brigadier (retd) Deepak Kapoor, CEO, Bestech Park View Facility Management, which has its corporate office in the sector.

The MCG said that the sector has been transferred to them recently but they will soon conduct a survey and take corrective measures. “I have asked officials to conduct a survey and all the broken roads will be repaired at the earliest. If any illegal encroachments are found, they will be removed and the civic conditions will be improved,” said Yashpal Yadav, MCG commissioner.