Private-public tussle leaves DLF City stranded / HT 10Jul12

Hindustan Times
Deevakar Anand
Gurgaon, July 10, 2012

Private-public tussle leaves DLF City stranded

Spread over 4.5 square kilometres, almost the entire area of ward 34 comes under private developer DLF in New Gurgaon. Due to this, the authority of the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) in the area remains constrained. As a result, or so councillor Rama Rani Rathee claims, in the last one year that MCG was instituted, no major development has taken place.

"Despite my best efforts, apart from a community centre up-gradation and restoration of six tube wells and two borewells in Sikanderpur village – which falls in MCG bounds – I have not been able to do much for the area. Not only does the private developer call the shots but also, I haven't received the desired support from MCG," she said.

Garbage being dumped in the open, stray cattle, broken manholes and pot-holed roads which have not been re-carpeted in the last few years add to woes.

But the major problem that plagues residents is the water shortage in the area.

The approximately 1.2 lakh ward residents require around 12 MGD (million gallons per day) of water in summers while availability is only 4 MGD. This year, however, the problem became worse as the DLF water storage tanks ran dry for a few days. People hit the streets and blocked roads.

"Despite approvals from the MCG chief engineer, that I worked hard to get, MCG is holding up a proposal of two small capacity sewerage treatment plants (STP) at E-block and A-block in DLF City, Phase-1," Rathee said. However, the proposed STPs have a capacity of 2.5 MLD that will hardly make up for the water deficit .

Besides, residents said the area is hounded by several stray dogs, which is a big nuisance.

They have to grapple with a bad law and order situation, with several cases of carjacking and chain snatching incidents having been reported, especially in shopping complexes.

Though Rathee claimed she had flagged off residents' issues to authorities, residents disagreed. "I had an open sewer in front of my house which is not linked with the master drain. Neither developer or councillor, has been able to get it connected to the main sewer line," complained Milin Kapoor, a DLF City, Phase I resident.

'The private developer calls the shots, MCG is helpless'

Interview Rama Rani Rathee, Ward No 34 Independent candidate

Despite being in office for over a year, residents point to your apathy towards civic problems. What's your reaction?

I have been doing my best but since my municipal ward areas fall largely in the private developer's area, MCG has a reduced role here. Despite this constraint, I have been pushing things at my level and have succeeded in getting quite a few things done.

What are your successful projects?

I intervened and successfully got a community centre upgraded and six tubewells and two borewells restored in Sikanderpur village. Besides, I helped put in place 25 benches in parks. I am pushing for a harijan chaupal, panchayat ghar, school and library at Sikanderpur.

DLF City areas face severe water crisis every year. Residents complain you have not been able to raise the issue and get a solution.

That is a false claim. I have chased DLF and MCG officials on a regular basis but the water crisis in the area is an age-old problem. It requires DLF, MCG and Huda to work together and develop better water channels and install water harvesting systems.

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