News: No streelights and no repair work: Why Haryana's Pataudi Road is a nightmare-15-06-2022
GURUGRAM: Commuters, especially those from the new sectors, have raised concerns about the absence of streetlights on portions of Pataudi Road. The dark stretches with no streetlights include Gadoli Khurd, where two youths drowned after their car fell into Najafgarh drain in November last year. While a high-mast light has been installed on the stretch, it isn’t functional.
According to residents, they as well as ward councilors have complained to MCG and highlighted the safety concerns but no concrete action has been taken so far. The road is also ridden with potholes, they said. When approached by TOI, officials said they are making an assessment of the streetlights required on the road and will install them soon.
“There are no streetlights on several sections on Pataudi road. Streetlights have been installed on some stretches, but they don’t work most of the time. The condition of the road is also poor and the absence of streetlights makes it unsafe and accident-prone. I have been using this road for several years now but the civic authorities, despite complaints of the residents living in new sectors, have failed to light up this road in all these years,” said Manbir Singh, a resident of Sector 83.
The councillor of the area also said he has raised the problem with MCG officials many times to no avail. “The officials don’t have to face the public on a daily basis. It is the councillors who must address the grievances of residents every day. I have raised this issue multiple times with the corporation. They have installed streetlights at some stretches, but they are hardly operational. When I complain about a non-functional streetlight, it takes MCG around 15-20 days to fix it. The problem has been raised in House meetings too, but we are still being deprived of a basic right,” said Sunil Kumar, councillor of ward 24.
Meanwhile, MCG executive engineer (electrical) Vishal Garg said, “We are currently in the process of assessing how many streetlights are required on Pataudi Road. Lights that need repairs will be fixed and after the assessment is done, MCG will start installing streetlights.”
Two youths in their mid-20s drowned after their car fell into Najafgarh drain on the main Pataudi Road in the early hours of November 23 last year. Keshav and Dharamvir, both contractors from Mahendergarh’s Pathera and Dhanoda villages, were travelling from Pataudi to Gurugram. On the culvert constructed over Najafgarh drain in Gadoli village, Keshav lost control of the vehicle, following which it fell into the drain. As the car’s electronic system malfunctioned, all its doors got locked automatically, leaving the two men stuck inside.
A crane was deployed to pull the car out. Keshav and Dharamvir were taken to Civil Hospital in Sector 10, where they were declared brought dead. Their bodies were handed over to their families after post-mortem. After the accident, MCG prepared an estimate of Rs 4.1 crore to widen a stretch of the road, which will have boundary walls on both the sides.
