Has the journey begun or does it end here?
A solid concrete road has been constructed near the Spectrum Mall. Surprisingly, it’s very well built – solid and sturdy. Few residents are hopeful that the work has started and soon similar roads will be constructed in the Sector. However, others feel that these roads are only around the commercial area to attract buyers with no further plans for any new roads inside the residential areas.
To be fair, a little resurfacing of the roads and streets of the Sector had taken place. The potholes and the other damaged and problem areas have been fixed. The work was a dire necessity after the rains last year had washed away the surface and the roads had caved in at some places. However, the lack of proper planning is visible not only to the experts in the field but also to other residents. The brackets which provide the binding and hence strength to the road are missing. A few showers of rain and seepage will damage the roads soon. “And whenever they construct the road, they leave a small patch connecting the main road with the Sector road. It acts as a giant pothole and residents have to navigate through this roller coaster.”, says an exasperated resident Vaishali Jindal.
Also missing is the footpath along the roadside. A footpath for pedestrians would have ensured the dual purpose of providing a bracket for the roads and a safe place for pedestrians. Since the metro station is just a kilometre away from most housing societies, those commuting through the metro prefer to walk the distance. But in the absence of a proper footpath dodging through the haphazard and rash traffic is an ordeal. The area meant for walkers, where there should ideally be a footpath is encroached by hawkers which is an additional nuisance.
“We talk of saving our precious resources like petrol and diesel but do the civic agencies encourage any such thing? When the residents could have walked through this one-kilometre distance we are forced to use our vehicles as there isn’t a proper footpath and people driving from all sides pose a threat of accidents”, says a resident.
As if this was not enough, lack of coordination between civic agencies is another major factor for damage to roads. As soon as there was completion of road resurfacing, some civic agency starts digging it up. The continuous digging that goes in 7X Sectors is sometimes incomprehensible and inexplicable. Sometimes it is done to lay cables for various telecom providers, sometimes for gas pipelines and at other times to lay water pipelines. A little coordination and proper planning can help the roads to sustain their strength for a longer period. But are the civic agencies listening?
