Pvt firms to maintain green belts, medians of GMDA roads

From now on, private companies and builders that develop residential and commercial establishments along the Southern and Northern Peripheral Roads (SPR-NPR) will

From now on, private companies and builders that develop residential and commercial establishments along the Southern and Northern Peripheral Roads (SPR-NPR) will maintain all green belts and the medians of master roads in the newly developed sectors 58 to 115, said officials of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was also signed individually by the developers with the GMDA.

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The agreement, with regards to maintenance of a green belt and median, details the time frame as well as the terms and conditions of the authority. This is the first time that such an agreement has been undertaken to prioritise road space and ensure the medians are developed to be aesthetically beautiful — a priority of the urban environment wing of the GMDA, especially on major roads, including SPR.

The MoU has been signed for a period of three years, till January 2023, by the urban environment wing of the GMDA. “We want all our master roads and SPR to look well-maintained, with full greenery and to possess aesthetic beauty. These private companies have shown an interest and agreed to the terms and conditions of MoU. This is a good sign,” said Rajbir Singh Bondwal, GMDA’s urban environment advisor.

Master roads broader than 30 metres and the SPR-NPR were transferred to the GMDA by the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) in 2017-18. The GMDA transferred NPR to the NHAI in June 2018.

“There were a few builders who had been maintaining medians of a few roads in some sectors through an informal understanding with previous road owning agency. We felt the need to give this the formal shape of an MoU, so that all roads look good and the accountability of maintenance by the agencies can be fixed. However, the authority will not pay money to private agencies. They will be doing the same under their corporate social responsibility,” said Bondwal.

The GMDA’s environment wing will keep a watch and will terminate any agreement where the work is unsatisfactory, officials said.