As Haryana polls near, Gurugram's potholed roads make the ride difficult for politicians

Tribune News Service

Gurugram, August 22

With Haryana Assembly elections approaching, the collapse of civic infrastructure in Gurugram has once again taken centre stage. The city, already infamous for its waterlogging issues during monsoons, is now grappling with pothole-riddled roads, which are likely to become a significant challenge for political parties in the upcoming elections.

Residents launch‘no road no vote’ 

• The civic authorities have identified over 50 roads in the city as poor and risky, with the majority located in the posh New Gurugram area
• Residents, expressing strong anti-incumbency sentiments, have announced that they will only vote for candidates who can get these roads repaired before the elections
• Despite multiple agencies spending ~200 crore on road infrastructure in a year, Gurugram still has some of the poorest roads in the NCR

‘Death traps’

These are not roads, but death traps. Look at the craters; every day someone gets injured, and cars break down. They developed New Gurugram, but neglected the roads. We live in flats worth crores, but struggle with the poorest roads in the entire NCR. — Praveen Malik, United Association of New Gurugram

Residents of Gurugram, particularly those living in high-rise buildings and upscale condominiums, have taken to the streets to protest against the deteriorating roads, which they claim have become life-threatening. A recent protest by a housing society with the slogan “No road, no vote” has gained traction, becoming a rallying cry for residents demanding that civic authorities repair the roads before the elections.

The civic authorities have identified over 50 roads in the city as poor and risky, with the majority located in the posh New Gurugram area. Despite multiple agencies like the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) spending around Rs 200 crore on road infrastructure in a year, Gurugram still has some of the poorest roads in the National Capital Region (NCR).

Residents, expressing strong anti-incumbency sentiments, have announced that they will only vote for candidates who can get these roads repaired before the elections.

“These are not roads, but death traps. Look at the craters; every day someone gets injured, and cars break down. They developed New Gurugram, but neglected the roads. We live in flats worth crores, but struggle with the poorest roads in the entire NCR,” said Praveen Malik of the United Association of New Gurugram.

“These aren’t just potholes, but craters that are life-threatening. It’s not just one or two roads; the entire New Gurugram is plagued by this crisis. We’ve been seeking relief for years, and all we get is temporary repairs that don’t last more than a few weeks. They promised during the Lok Sabha elections that the issues would be resolved in 90 days, but nothing happened. So, we’re united under the slogan ‘No road, no vote’,” said Navdeep Singh, a road safety activist.

Even the Gurugram traffic police have frequently highlighted the poor condition of the roads as a key reason behind the monsoon chaos and numerous accidents. On several occasions, the police have had to fill potholes themselves.

Among the pending repair projects are the stretches between Krishna Chowk and Rezang La Chowk, Mahavir Chowk and Atul Kataria Chowk, New Railway Road, Old Railway Road, Civil Lines Road, master roads for the new sectors along the Dwarka Expressway and inter-sector roads.

“Potholes and craters are a major issue, and we’ve been consistently voicing our concerns, not just sharing videos but also proposing solutions. In some areas, the situation is so bad that cops have had to bring the materials and fill potholes because they have to battle congestion,” said DCP, Traffic, Virendra Vij.

The residents are not just holding physical protests, but are also running social media campaigns, putting pressure on the authorities, who have now launched a mega repair drive.

While GMDA has requested a week to repair all the roads, the MCG has asked for only three days. Deputy Commissioner Nishant Yadav held a meeting with all agencies concerned on Tuesday, giving them 15 days to resolve the issue.

“We are inundated with complaints from the public and have instructed all parties concerned to ensure that the roads are repaired on time,” said Yadav.