Haryana Residents' welfare associations to decide on stir today

Tribune News Service

Geetanjali Gayatri

Chandigarh, January 28

Residents’ welfare associations (RWAs) are on the warpath against the Haryana Government’s vertical growth plan propelled by the decision to allow construction of four floors with stilt parking across the state.

As many as 500 representatives of the RWAs will meet in Panipat tomorrow to prepare a blueprint of their agitation to press for a rollback of this order to “save” the sectors. “The government decision to allow four floors with stilt parking has impacted the residents directly or indirectly and created issues where none existed. While the infrastructure is not equipped to handle this increased load, the decision has led to high-rises in plotted sectors, impacting services, blocking out sunlight and depriving residents of clean air as rampant construction goes on. We cannot be mute spectators to this government-builder collaboration, which has a bearing on our lives,” says Yashvir Malik, convener of the Haryana State HUDA Sectors Confederation.

While the first meeting on this issue was held for Panchkula district earlier this month, tomorrow’s meeting will have representation of the RWAs from across the state. The meeting is being held to decide the course of the agitation by the RWAs.

Maintaining that government agencies have failed to augment the infrastructure on the ground, Kadam Singh from the Rohtak RWA says, “The oldest sectors are the biggest sufferers. In Sector 1, water and sewage pipes were laid in 1986-87. While these are outdated now, the extra load will mean the entire system will collapse. The systems were laid for two families and if every house has four, it will only multiply our problems.”

Baljeet Rathi of the RWA, Gurugram, says, “The decision to allow such construction is aimed at benefiting builders while putting the residents at a disadvantage given the problems of water, sewage discharge, parking and infrastructure ill-equipped to handle this load. It has damaged the environment. We will have to move court for relief because the government is not likely to hear us out.”

While the final decision will be taken tomorrow, RWA representatives said approaching the government and the court for redressal of their issues of water shortage, increasing traffic, choked sewerage, increased load on the existing infrastructure and environmental pollution caused by construction of four floors, besides starting signature drive were among the options.

About The Author

Tribune News Service

The Tribune News Service brings you the latest news, analysis and insights from the region, India and around the world. Follow the Tribune News Service for a wide-ranging coverage of events as they unfold, with perspective and clarity.