Gurugram residents raise banner of revolt: ‘No road, no vote’
‘No road, no vote’ is the slogan raised by around 14 lakh voters of the four Assembly segments in Gurugram this election. With over 200 roads riddled with potholes and over 60 being classified as dangerous, residents of Gurugram have got together seeking right to safe mobility.
We are sorry you’ve to face this
We are sorry Gurugram has to face this. It’s a prima facie failure of civic agencies and officials who in connivance with contractors pushed city to this. We promise if we are elected, the roads will be repaired before we swear in. — Rao Narbir, Badshahpur BJP Candidate
Don’t boycott, Vote them out
The roads highlight inefficiency and corruption of the BJP government. This is how they made Gurugram Singapore of Haryana? There are no roads left. Even main roads look like kaccha paths lost in craters. People should vote them out — Vardhan Yadav, Badshahpur
Worst sections
Sector 81 road, Basai road
Dhankot road, Pataudi road
Sector 82 Bestech road
Sec 80-109 internal roads
Service roads to Dwarka E-way
Gurugram bus stand road
Roads in Udyog Vihar
Pace City road, Sohna road
Sohna elevated road
Bilaspur Chowk, Subhash Chowk
Golf Course Extension Road
Hero Honda Chowk
Southern Peripheral Road
Access roads to KMP
Expressway near Narsinghpur
Contrary to the tall claims of the government and civic agencies, such as GMDA, MCG, MCM, HSVP and NHAI, or builders, while collectively over Rs 250 crore was spent on road repair and construction in last two years, not much has changed on ground. Of around 3,000 complaints pertaining to potholes and tattered roads, the majority in New Gurugram are pending with multiple agencies and even the CM window. With condition getting worse after the rains, residents have asked all parties to consider this as top agenda or forget their votes.
The maximum number of bad roads are in Badshahpur constituency, followed by Sohna, Pataudi and Gurugram. Residents have prepared a list of some of the worst roads in the city. The Sector 81 main road, which connects multiple societies and leads to Dwarka expressway, has been cited as the worst with maximum and deepest craters. This road, viral on social media as “moon road” or “mars road”, according to residents, has so far recorded around 100 big or small accidents. The road’s condition worsened in the rains. Residents claim school buses are not entering their societies, and getting cabs and food deliveries at night is impossible as nobody wants to traverse these roads. The situation of other roads from Sector 81 to 105 is similar. To date, around 10 protests have been held with residents announcing poll boycott.
Recently a video of Basai road went viral. The video of a delivery boy falling into a caved-in pothole and a JCB pulling out his bike trended on social media. Similarly, Dhankot road, Pataudi road, Sector 4 road and access roads to DLF, Bestech and Ansal and other societies are a mess. Residents want an explanation from BJP and the solution from others failing which they refuse to vote.
“The civic authorities have turned indifferent to our plight and even leaders are not prioritising it. Gurugram is clear, ‘no road, no vote,” said a statement collectively issued by all RWAs of New Gurugram. The Gurugram traffic police have written to DC Nishant Yadav, who is also the incharge of road safety committee, on how potholes are impacting traffic management and leading to accidents.
“Potholes are the biggest challenge we have at this moment. It’s sad but true that cops are carrying spades and construction material with them while on duty to repair roads and get traffic moving. Both MCG and GMDA are oblivious to crises,” said DCP, Traffic, Virender Vij.
