After takeover, a makeover: Indirapuram roads, drains & parks up for revamp

Ghaziabad: Four months since its handover was finalised, the Indirapuram township is set for a revamp. The GMC board has given the nod to make the township a separate zone, which will help in the concerted and focused development of the township, officials said. A dedicated workforce of 396 sanitary workers has already been deployed to improve sanitation in the area.
"This will be GMC's sixth zone after the Mohan Nagar, Vasundhara, Vijaynagar, Kavinagar, and City zones," said municipal commissioner Vikramaditya Singh Malik.
Spread across 1,289 acres, the township is home to over 4 lakh residents from 183 societies. "To cater to this size of the population and area, it was of utmost importance that it be declared a separate zone, which as of now comes under the Vasundhara zone," Malik added.
According to the municipal commissioner, the township generates between 125-150 MT of civic waste daily. Over 50 CNG-fitted door-to-door waste collection vehicles have already been deployed to dispose of the waste, he said.
"The process has just started, and in many areas, we are doing reasonably good work, while on many fronts, work is yet to start. For construction of roads and other work related to civic amenities, tenders have been floated, and before the monsoon sets in, the work will be completed," he added.
The disposal of civic waste is a key issue for GMC.
"As part of the handover deal with GDA, it will provide 4,000 sqm of land for a waste transfer station and 4,500 sqm of land for a material recovery centre. The development authority is yet to hand over the land parcel for which we have set aside an amount of Rs 15 crore, and once done, it will be made operational in six months, which will take care of the township's civic waste issue," the municipal commissioner said.
Meanwhile, revamp work for other civic infrastructure is also underway at the township.
Indirapuram has a 135km drainage network, which will also be strengthened at an estimated cost of Rs 50 crore. GMC has floated tenders for the same. The township also has an 80km road network and funds worth Rs 50 crore have been set aside for revamp work.
Additionally, work on four stretches of road that have been taken up under the CM GRID scheme is nearing completion. The stretches include the Kala Patthar to NH9 stretch and Kala Patthar to Suhila Nayaar Marg.
GMC will also take up the maintenance of about 96 parks in the township at a cost of Rs 11 crore.
"Development work in each ward worth Rs 30 lakh will be carried out. There is no dearth of funds for the development of Indirapuram, and in 15 months' time, the change will become visible," said Sanjay Singh, councillor of ward number 100.
However, Singh also pointed out two major challenges that the township faces – the sewer problem and the problem of jams and encroachment. "The drainage network in Indirapuram is massive – it is 135km long, but the issue is that the volume of wastewater generated and the circumference of the pipeline is far too less, which allows wastewater to spill onto the roads. Topography is also the reason behind this because the gradient of the township is towards the east, towards the Hindon River, and due to the uneven nature of the land here, the wastewater clogs in areas on a higher gradient. Funds alone will not solve the issue, as it will require technical expertise and good leadership," he explained.
On the issue of encroachment and jams, Singh said it was an administrative problem rather than a civic issue.
"Parking mafia, in connivance with a few public representatives, is ruling the roost, which allows roadside parking. This alliance needs to be broken, which could happen only under strong leadership, and if it is achieved, the roads will be largely free of jams and encroachments," he said.
Meanwhile, with the handover process completed, the GMC is set to receive the final instalment of Rs 35 crore from the GDA by the end of March. In the meantime, the municipal corporation has mustered all its resources to improve the overall condition of the township, with many initiatives already being undertaken, officials said.