Udyog Vihar roads remain dug up, area faces threat of waterlogging

Even five months after the groundbreaking ceremony for widening and re-carpeting three roads in Udyog Vihar was done, there has hardly been any progress in the work on the ground, said factory owners on Wednesday. They alleged that only digging work has been done so far, which has started posing a problem, especially after the recent spell of rain.

The three roads that are to be widened are Shankar Chowk Road, Shyam Chowk Road and Atlas Chowk Road. These roads connect the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway and Old Delhi Road via Udyog Vihar, where nearly 2,200 small, medium and big factories are located. The industrial area is spread across three sectors — 18, 19 and 20. According to the Chamber of Industries, about three lakh people work in Udyog Vihar industries and the existing width of roads is insufficient to handle the traffic volume.

The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) proposed to widen the three roads last June and it was approved last November by the Haryana government. The GMDA had allotted/awarded the work to a private contractor and conducted a groundbreaking ceremony on January 21.

The cost of the project was ₹42 crore and it was to be completed by June-end.“The GMDA-appointed contractor started digging work for utility shifting purpose on Shankar Chowk Road in February and left it halfway. The dug up trench now has turned into a big nuisance during the rain. The contractor told us that removal of encroachments and shifting of trees, electric poles and wires falling in alignment of widening are pending,” said Aseem Takyar, a factory owner.

There are 450 trees and around 250 electric poles that have to be removed or shifted from the alignment of the road widening work for the three roads.

Jitender Mittal, chief engineer, GMDA, said, “We have got forest clearance and accordingly, trees will be shifted or transplanted. We have also got permission from the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) to shift poles and wires, which will be done soon. However, our work is underway on Shankar Chowk Road. I will visit Udyog Vihar for ground status.”

A DHBVN official said, “We surveyed poles and other infrastructure in the alignment of road widening, with GMDA officials, two weeks ago. The GMDA has to submit an estimate to us and deposit funds. Accordingly, we will float a tender for the removal of this infrastructure. This will take at least six months.”

Factory owners, however, are planning to meet V Umashankar, the chief executive officer of the GMDA and Rao Narbir Singh.

Ashok Kohli, the president of Chamber of Industries, Udyog Vihar, said, “We will meet Umashankar and MLA Rao Narbir Singh in this regard. The work was likely to be completed by June-end but it has not yet started.”

“I will speak to GMDA chief engineer to ascertain the reason for the delay. This work was to be completed in June,” said the MLA.