An urbanisation mess

Sumedha Sharma

The promise made almost a decade ago to build new Gurugram (Sectors 58 to 115) with world-class living conditions has long been forgotten. Divided into three stretches - sectors along the Southern Peripheral Road (SPR), off the National Highway No. 8 near Kherki Daula, and along the Dwarka Expressway — it is home to most highly-rated housing societies. However, ironically, the life is in these housing societies is contrary to what was promised when these were sold as an ‘abode in the lap of Aravalli hills’.

The area was conceptualised then to provide a quick and good accommodation solution to an increasing population of home-seekers owing to a huge job pool creation, especially along the Manesar and Kherki Daula toll plaza. It was government policies and loopholes in them that resulted in this civic mess. The state government gave licences to builders for the development of housing projects in new sectors in one go, but it failed to create infrastructure at the same pace. Further, according to the government rules, developers were free to provide water and power to residents from any source. This did not bind them to get power from distribution companies or water from the Housing Urban Development Authority (HUDA) in order to obtain occupation certificates. Consequently, many developers gave the possession of flats without the supporting infrastructure. Ironically, despite having paid a heavy amount as internal development charges (IDC) and external development charges (EDC), 40,000 families continue to struggle for a fair share of basic amenities such as drinking water, sewerage, internal roads, streetlights, security, medical facilities, schools, markets etc. They have not been able to get the Kherki Daula toll removed.

Last year, residents saw a ray of hope when Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar announced to stall the expansion of the urban boundaries of Gurugram till the problems of the new sectors were resolved. He also promised changes in policies and rules to bring these sectors under the wings of the development authorities such as the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). He divided the sectors into four zones for focused development to solve the problems of Sectors 58 to 68 in the first phase, of Sectors 81 to 95 in the second phase and of Sectors 95 to 15 in the third phase. Sectors 68 to 80 have land acquisition problems and hence will be dealt with last.

Deficient water supply

Ironic, as it may sound, but the residents of these sectors primarily depend on groundwater or illegal supply at a high price for their household needs. With no regulated water supply in a majority of areas, the builders, as a stopgap arrangement, are providing groundwater drawn through submersible pumps or ensuring regular supply through tankers arranged at a whopping price. This is not only annoying for residents, who pay an exorbitant price for water, but it is also a threat to already depleted water table in Gurugram city. 

According to the GMDA, it has already augmented the capacity of the Chandu Budhera water treatment plant, partially commissioned supply in Sectors 58 to 67 and will start regular water supply by mid-April. “We are on the job and have partially commissioned water supply. Soon, Sectors 58 to 67 will get regular water supply by mid-April,” says Rajneesh Arora, Chief Engineer, GMDA.

There is a plan to set up a boosting station in Sector 72 but it will take around two and a half years to build it. Initially, the Sector 51 boosting station will be used to supply water to the new sectors. For Sectors 81 to 95, land acquisition has been completed for laying supply pipelines. But HUDA is yet to allot alternative plots to landowners, which may take a few more weeks. Also, the supply pipelines have to cross railway tracks, for which GMDA officials are in talks with the Railways. In the fourth phase, Sectors 95 to 115 are likely to get water supply by next year, as pipelines are being laid there. However, Sector 68 to 80 (second phase) are unlikely to get water supply any time soon owing to issues pertaining to land acquisition for laying supply pipes.

Sewerage denied

Besides water supply and internal roads, sewerage is another vital infrastructure long denied to residents. According to the norms, while the GMDA is bound to lay the master sewerage line, the builders are duty bound to connect their individual housing societies to it through connecting lines. Left at the mercy of builders, most of the housing societies are dumping sewage into empty plots or even into water bodies. Though the housing societies are mandated to manage sewage at source, these have no choice and have become major environment polluters. 

“We have laid sewerage for the first phase of Sectors 58 to 67 and working to provide the facility in other areas. It is the responsibility of the colonisers or builders to connect their housing societies to the master sewerage and they should be held accountable for the current mess,” says Rajneesh Arora, Chief Engineer.

Kherki Daula toll’s removal

The toll plaza is one of the irritants for residents of Sectors 77 to 95. Besides paying Rs 65 every time they leave their homes and return, the residents have to face heavy vehicular traffic that also leads to massive air pollution. Residents had organised protests several times and successive governments during the last seven years had promised to shift the barrier, but in vain. Though the Chief Minister had already announced that the toll barrier would be shifted to Pachgaon, the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC) is yet to give land to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for a toll plaza at Pachgaon. The NHAI had asked for 40 acres to shift the Kherki Daula toll barrier but the HSIIDC has acquired only 38 acres so far. The issue became more controversial as local residents started opposing the toll operators for allegedly snapping the link from the National Highway No. 8 link to the newly built Dwarka Expressway. Though the Chief Minister got the barrier wall pulled down, the operator took legal recourse and managed to get permission to rebuild it. He has now erected steel barriers to de-link the Dwarka Expressway from the National Highway No. 8. The residents are protesting against it every other day.

Lack of parks, green areas

Other than parks provided by the builders, the residents are still awaiting green belts and parks as provided in HUDA sectors across Haryana. It seems the civic authorities and the builders have no priority to build green belts and parks and are constantly blaming each other. Though the GMDA has planned to construct green belts along the master roads, the Town and Country Planning Department is yet to work out how it will be done along the internal roads. Residents of most of the housing societies complain that the builders have made no provision of parks or walking areas. 

Security and safety

The residents also complain about the poor presence of the police, dimly lit isolated roads and insufficient number of police stations and posts. They have written several letters to the local authorities stating that only a handful of policemen in PCR vans are stationed near malls or commercial areas but otherwise there is no police presence in their areas. It takes the police at least an hour to reach a complainant or a caller in case of an emergency. They have been persistently demanding a dedicated police network in their areas. 

Poor internal road network in residential sectors

• Though these sectors have come up along three major highways, they still have a poor road network. While there are virtually no connecting internal roads, master roads are damaged. Travelling on potholed roads at night becomes very risky in the absence of streetlights. 
• The construction of internal roads in the new sectors is one of the biggest challenges because according to the conditions of the development licence, it is the duty of a developer, and not of a government agency such as HUDA. As a result, many localities have no roads. While the GMDA looks after the construction and maintenance of all master roads, the connecting 24-m wide internal roads in these sectors continue to be the key problem area. According to the norms, the builders were to collaborate to build internal roads but despite repeated meetings, no consensus could be reached. The GMDA insists that the work on most of the roads taken over from HUDA has been completed. It has written to HUDA for the removal of hindrances and illegalities that are hindering the construction of master roads. According to senior GMDA officials, the development of roads in the new sectors has been delayed due to multiple issues, including a lack of permission from the Forest Department, litigation, encroachments and changes in alignment. A stretch-wise list has been drawn up, along with a list of issues hindering the work. 
• RS Bhisnoi, Superintending Engineer, GMDA, says, “We have built master roads in the entire area and the work, whatever left, is nearing completion. Yes, the road construction work on some stretches has been delayed owing to litigation, the major problem here is 24-m wide connecting or internal roads, which, as per the norms, the builders had to provide to the residents. They are accountable for it”. 

Conditions worse than villages

We have paid all dues, including infrastructure development fees, in time but are still to get even basic facilities. With no access to water, sewerage or roads, we live in conditions worse than villages in Gurugram district. While there is always a hue and cry about environment pollution or smog, we have to inhale highly-polluted air due to the Kherki Daula toll plaza but nobody is bothered. While the builders and the government authorities blame each other, homebuyers are suffering in the absence of necessary facilities. We have paid the price of buying the millennial city dream. — Praveen Malik, vice-president, United Association of New Gurugram

New police stations to be set up

Security overhauling is already under way. You can say that the situation was poor some months ago, owing to an infrastructure and manpower crunch, but today things are different. We have set up new police stations and chowkis in this area and will increase their number in future. We have intensified patrolling round the clock and are making efforts for better coverage of new Gurugram. — KK Rao, Commissioner of Police, Gurugram 

Left at the mercy of builders

The new sectors or the zone four, as they call it, is a classic example of an urban catastrophe where people have been left at the mercy of private builders. For years the civic authorities and the builders have shirked their responsibility of making a provision of necessary infrastructure saying it's other's duty. However, it is still the responsibility of the government to ensure that the builders, whom it has given licences for the housing projects, build the necessary infrastructure. On paper, though the work may be shown as completed or under way, on the ground, we are suffering. When we leave homes, we are not sure that we will return safely after travelling on potholed roads. — Yashesh Yadav, president, DXP Welfare Association

Unfulfilled dream

We bought homes at very high prices to have a promised world class urban living but became victims of a civic mess. We are deprived of even basic facilities of water, sewerage, and electricity. The toll plaza affects our quality of life. We are the residents of the country's worst planned urban slum. — Bhupender Narula, resident of Vatika Independent Floors, Sector 83