Living on MG Road not an easy ball game

The daily life of residents living in gated condominiums on MG Road, also known as the Mall Mile, sandwiched between malls and office complexes, is not as hunky dory as it seems.

Rising traffic volume, air and noise pollution have had an adverse effect on the lifestyle of residents of nearby localities.

The busy road, located near Iffco Chowk, plays host to the Gurgaon Metro line, several MNC offices and numerous shopping malls which attract thousands of visitors every day.

People in residential complexes like Essel Towers, Heritage City, Beverly Park-1 and Beverly Park-2 have to bear the overhead Metro running from 5.30am to 11.30 in the night and a non-stop array of traffic jams right outside the apartment gates.

“Every morning, I am awakened by the screeching noise of the Metro. It’s a nuisance as all bedrooms in my apartment building face the Metro track or the main road,” said 47-year-old Naresh Taneja, a resident of Essel Towers.

“During peak traffic hours, vehicles enter the service lane, right in front of our gate. Constant honking and choked lanes make it a complete mess,” added Taneja.

PS Duggal, president of the Beverly Park-1 RWA, claimed heavy traffic on MG Road was a major problem.

“There is a u-turn right across the road from the Beverly Park gate. However, there is no traffic signal which is a huge cause of concern. Buses, trucks and cars travel at high speed and this area is extremely accident prone,” he said, adding that high noise pollution is also worrisome.

Apartment complexes like Heritage City, adjacent to Metropolitan Mall, have their own share of problems.

Crawling traffic during weekends, rush outside malls and garbage being thrown from the Metro station into the residential complex take a toll on residents.

Major HS Bhatia, general secretary of Heritage City RWA, said, “Almost every weekend, we have to divert traffic within the complex to avoid further chaos.”

DV Malik, estate manager, Heritage City, added, “Heavy traffic is a threat to the safety of senior citizens and children of the locality. Authorities must take action to ease the traffic situation. It is annoying to remain stranded in a jam right outside your colony.”