Gurgaon’s highways to hell: How Millennium City’s pot-holed roads pose a hazard to helpless commuters

September 18, 2013

By AJAY KUMAR

It is touted as the Millennium City, but the condition of the roads leading to Gurgaon is no less than deplorable. The pothole-riddled stretches, which are covered with slush, stones and dust, pose safety hazards to regular commuters who endure torment-filled drives every day.

The slow pace of traffic owing to dilapidated roads adds to the woes of motorists during peak hours. The worst affected include Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, thanks to the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), which is known for its lackadaisical attitude to maintaining roads.

The stretch between Delhi-Gurgaon commercial toll plaza and Sahara mall in Gurgaon is also in a mess. Commuters are being forced to ride their vehicles at a snail’s pace, leading to traffic snarls in the mornings and evenings. Moreover, a lot of diversions and U-turns put more pressure on them.

The commuters, who travel from Mehrauli and Chattarpur to Gurgaon, also face a bumpy ride on the stretch as they enter Delhi border.

Gurgaon's highways to hell: How Millennium City's pot-holed roads pose a hazard to helpless commuters

No vision

Progressive Alliance Forum (PAF) – a citizen body in Gurgaon – has complained to the Haryana government about the dilapidated condition of the roads. The forum alleges that the HUDA did not have a futuristic vision while laying roads. Experts believe that deterioration takes place since the roads lack a strong base.

The companies have not createda strong base before building upper layers, the forum said.

“HUDA is not competent enough to take care of the roads. We complained to the state government in February, urging it to award contracts for road maintenance and construction to expert companies. The state government has given the road repairing-cum-widening job to bridges and roads wing of the PWD – a specialist in constructing highways,” PAF president Raman Sharma.

The agencies in Gurgaon do not carry out surveys – a mandatory procedure – before constructing roads. A survey is carried out to examine soil condition and materials used to lay the roads.

Even roads built using high-end technology deteriorate quickly because of the poor drainage system. For instance, the M.G Road in old Gurgaon is also in a shambles owing to the lack of good drainage system.

“Poor drainage system is deteriorating the condition of the road. We have directed engineers of our department to repair the road as soon as possible,” said a HUDA official.

Besides this, the Cyber City Road which connects Sikandarpur Metro station with NH 8, and roads that lead to DLF phase 3 are pothole-ridden. Road widening work being carried out between Sikanderpur Metro station and NH 8 also add to commuters’ woes.

Repair work on the Old Delhi Road between Udyog Vihar and Maruti Suzuki India Ltd Sector 18 plant has also stopped as both HUDA and Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon are engaged in a spat. One side of the road has been in a messy condition, leading to traffic snarls.

Old Delhi Road has significance as it connects posh Palam Vihar with Kapashera border in Delhi. According to sources, repair work on the road has been going on for more than six months.