The ongoing work of laying sewer lines on Old Delhi road has left the busy stretch dug up. As a result, commuters, residents and shopkeepers are facing a lot of problems for the past three weeks. And with the arrival of monsoon in the city, more civic mess is in the offing as the work is far from over.
The digging work, which started over 20 days ago near the Sector 22 CNG filling station, has worsened the traffic situation while increasing pollution in the area. "We are greatly inconvenienced for more than 15 days now. During peak hours, it used to take me not more than 10 minutes to reach the first traffic signal near Maruti from the Palam Mode turn. Now it takes me at least one-and-a-half hours to cover the distance,"said Om Prakash, an auto driver.
With a number of industrial units, including that of automobile giant Maruti Suzuki Motors, operating in the area, the Old Delhi road is used by heavy vehicles and autos/cars leaving no space for pedestrian movement.
"The traffic situation is chaotic. It is very difficult for children and senior citizens to use the road. We have brought the issue to the authorities' notice time and again. The digging work has compounded the mess,"said Saket Singh of Gurgaon One, a residential complex in Sector 23.
Asked about the digging work impeding traffic movement and the delay in levelling the earth in the area, MCG executive engineer YK Garg said, "I am aware of the digging work progressing on Old Delhi road. The work had to be stalled due to non-clearance from BSNL, which also has cables running underneath."
{{/usCountry}}Asked about the digging work impeding traffic movement and the delay in levelling the earth in the area, MCG executive engineer YK Garg said, "I am aware of the digging work progressing on Old Delhi road. The work had to be stalled due to non-clearance from BSNL, which also has cables running underneath."
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, commercial establishments have started leveling off the dug-up earth to aid smooth entry of vehicles into their complexes. "The MCG completed one portion of the work a week ago but did not level the earth obstructing the movement of vehicles into our complex. We were forced to level a portion of the road for the entry of vehicles,"said Sumeet Kumar Sachhan, security in-charge at an under-construction hotel in the area.
The residents alleged that the authorities did not place the mandatory notice boards to caution passersby about the construction work. "We are aware of the ongoing work. But those caught unawares may fall into the ditch,"said DB Choudhary, supervising security officer at Gurgaon One.