Monsoon is knocking on the door, but stormwater drains nowhere near ready

Gurgaon: Residents and shopkeepers of DLF-1 have complained about inconvenience due to the ongoing construction of storm water drainage project near Arjun Marg adjoining Golf Course Road for over a month. The residents said that huge tranches have been dug up on the service lane, alleging that the contractor is not following any safety measures and blocking their right of way while carrying out the construction work. Moreover, the dug-up road has further aggravated the dust pollution in the area.
Jugesh Nanda, a resident, said, “Construction has been going on at a very slow pace due to which our approach road has become inaccessible. When the work started, the authority assured us that no inconvenience would be caused but now I feel like I have been trapped in my own house. We are parking our vehicles in another block as they have left a narrow path for pedestrian movement. The work has been going on for the past one month with only 8-10 labourers at the site that too without any supervision.”
With monsoon around the corner, the residents also fear that the dug-up road could lead to accidents. They further alleged that there are no warning signs or barricading at the site making it dangerous for motorists and pedestrians. “We have been facing a lot of inconvenience over the past one month and have raised the issue with the authority concerned but to no avail. They blocked the service lane from both ends making it difficult to access the road for residents and visitors alike. When I raised the issue, the contractor misbehaved with me. I have filed a police complaint on the matter,” said Vikas Gupta, another resident.
The DLF is installing the storm water drainage system on 400m of the service lane adjoining Golf Course Road to tackle the waterlogging situation.
Meanwhile, a representative of DLF said that they have never blocked any access and are carrying out the work in a phased manner so that no inconvenience is caused to the residents. “We are hoping to complete the drainage work within the next 15 days,” the representative said.
A senior GMDA official said, “The project was started late due to delay in approvals and I have already directed the DLF management and contractor to speed up the work. However, I will look into the matter and get the work completed soon,” the official said.