In a metropolis minimize by by the Delhi-Jaipur freeway and intersected by a number of different peripheral and state highways, pedestrians are left within the lurch—particularly given the civic apathy to devoted infrastructure, as evidenced by the town’s dilapidated foot overbridges.
Whereas PR had reported in March in regards to the poor state of FOBs, a spot examine on Saturday revealed not a lot change on the bottom.
PR visited seven key foot overbridges, together with those at IFFCO Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, MG Street, Sector 18, Narsinghpur, Sector 9, and Hero Honda Chowk, that are heavy site visitors zones. PR discovered defunct elevators, caved-in flooring, and piles of rubbish and mud overlaying the buildings. The unhygienic and unsafe situations have pressured commuters to keep away from the bridges altogether, opting as a substitute to cross busy roads and junctions at floor degree.
The FOBs are maintained by a number of businesses, together with the Municipal Company of Gurugram, Gurugram Metropolitan Growth Authority and the Nationwide Highways Authority of India.
‘Defunct elevators and lack of upkeep’
At Rajiv Chowk, commuters mentioned the elevators have been non-functional for years. Deepal, 30, who goes by a single identify and is an everyday commuter, mentioned, “Elevators have been damaged for a very long time. Solely a handful of individuals use the FOB to cross. Looks like elevators have been put in only for present.”
He added, “The steps will not be clear, stray canine defecate right here and mud and rubbish are strewn throughout.”
Naresh Kumar, 41, a tea vendor close to the identical spot, mentioned he has by no means seen anybody clear the FOB. “There isn’t any cleansing, no upkeep in any respect,” he mentioned.
At IFFCO Chowk, the scenario was no higher. The foot overbridge close to the bus stand lies uncared for, with elevators which have became rubbish dumps. A trans girl, who requested anonymity, mentioned, “The elevators haven’t been working for years. Since they continue to be out of use, folks dump rubbish in them.”
Naresh Singh, a cobbler who sits close to the IFFCO Chowk foot overbridge, described the construction as “deplorable.” He mentioned, “The ground of the FOB has caved in, however no repairs have ever been carried out. I’ve by no means seen any NHAI official come right here for inspection. There’s no cleansing — whereas the roads are swept, the edges of the FOB stay filthy. At evening, there’s barely any lighting, so folks keep away from utilizing it altogether.”
Singh additionally highlighted poor civic behaviour by pedestrians. “Folks additionally lack civic sense. This FOB has develop into a urinal for a lot of, they usually don’t care about these of us who sit close by,” he added.
One other commuter, Jaiveer Singh, who works at a tech firm, mentioned he not makes use of the bridge. “I as soon as used the FOB however stopped after noticing the flooring had caved in. Ever since, I’ve averted strolling on it because it feels too harmful,” he mentioned.
In the meantime, at MG Street, the foot overbridge is roofed in rubbish and emits a foul odour. “If I’ve to make use of the ramps or stairs, I want to carry the railings for assist, however they’re so unhygienic that I don’t even need to contact them,” mentioned Sheetal Agarwal, a senior citizen who lives close by.
“The elevators of many of the FOBs are out of service. How do you anticipate a senior citizen to climb stairs?” Agarwal requested.
Deepak, one other commuter, drew a pointy comparability between privately maintained and government-maintained bridges. “The FOBs in Cyber Metropolis and DLF Part 4 are on top of things. The lifts work, and I’ve seen correct cleansing there. However the FOBs underneath authorities upkeep are in poor situation,” he mentioned.
Authorities acknowledge lapses
In response to the complaints, district challenge officer, Nationwide Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Akash Pardy, admitted to the poor situation of Gurugram’s FOBs. “A young has been issued and an company has been finalised for the restore and upkeep of the town’s foot overbridges,” Pardy mentioned. He assured that work will start on the finish of November. “All of the FOBs shall be mounted quickly. We may also guarantee correct upkeep of those FOBs,” he added.
Some FOBs, nevertheless, fall underneath the jurisdiction of the Gurugram Metropolitan Growth Authority (GMDA). A senior GMDA official, requesting anonymity, mentioned they just lately acquired complaints in regards to the FOB close to Basai and guaranteed that it will be repaired on the earliest. “Sanitation of those bridges comes underneath the Municipal Company of Gurugram (MCG),” the official added.
Regardless of a number of calls and messages, MCG officers didn’t reply to PR’s queries.
Security issues for ladies and aged
At Hero Honda Chowk, the escalators are non-functional, and insufficient lighting makes the bridge unsafe for ladies and aged commuters after darkish. Shreya Yadav, an everyday commuter, mentioned she avoids utilizing the bridge at evening. “There’s no lighting, and I really feel very unsafe, so I don’t use it,” she mentioned.
“Close to Rajiv Chowk, I’ve even seen liquor bottles scattered round. My buddies, who commute from that aspect at evening, have seen folks lingering there. It’s a very unsafe spot as a result of nobody makes use of the FOB after darkish, there’s no lighting, and there are not any checks,” she added.
A number of transgender individuals echoed comparable issues, saying that inebriated males typically loiter on the FOBs at evening, passing lewd feedback. “There’s additionally a spot close to the bridge the place folks generally urinate. If you’re alone after darkish, it’s really safer to take the street than the FOB. IFFCO Chowk is among the metropolis’s busiest areas, so one fears whereas crossing roads. But it surely’s nonetheless higher than utilizing the bridge,” she mentioned.
In the meantime, Naresh Kumar, a neighborhood vendor, mentioned ladies and senior residents are not often seen utilizing the FOB at Rajiv Chowk after darkish. “I’ve been operating my stall right here for the previous 5 years, and I’ve not often seen a girl or an aged individual use the bridge at evening,” he mentioned.
Commuters additionally mentioned the bridges develop into hazardous throughout the wet season. Roofs leak, stairs develop into slippery, and waterlogging happens on the entry factors of a number of FOBs. “At IFFCO Chowk, the service lane typically will get waterlogged, and a big puddle kinds proper close to the steps of the FOB. On high of that, the leaky roofs go away me drenched when I attempt to cross,” mentioned a transgendered particular person.
“The flooring of the FOBs develop into extraordinarily slippery throughout the rains, and the grip loosens. With no repairs achieved, strolling on them turns into tough. That’s why I largely keep away from utilizing them throughout the monsoon,” mentioned Jaiveer Singh, a commuter.
Earlier in March, PR had reported on the poor situation of foot overbridges (FOBs) in Gurugram, highlighting the neglect that has pressured pedestrians to threat crossing busy roads as a substitute of utilizing these bridges. At key places like IFFCO Chowk, the pedestrian bridge is roofed in mud and rubbish, with escalators out of service for months, resulting in low utilization. Equally, at Sector 30 close to Signature Towers and Hero Honda Chowk, non-functional escalators and lack of lighting create unsafe situations, particularly for ladies and aged folks after darkish.
