Primarily a residential area in South Delhi, Greater Kailash-II and its denizens face their own set of problems ranging from a divider caught in a mess, encroachments, to car thefts and snatching incidents despite its posh location.
It has been five years but the divider on Alaknanda road remains damaged as a legal fight between the Resident Welfare Association and the National Green Tribunal is yet to reach an amicable solution.
A dispute in 2015 over the number of cuts to be allowed on the divider and other disagreements even reached the apex court.
“The issue has not been resolved. The Supreme Court has sent it back to where it was with the NGT order. The damaged divider is not repaired and must be sorted once for all. This road is unsafe as vehicles ram into the broken divider,” GK-II RWA president Sanjay Rana Opposing the NGT order to allow only two cuts, the RWA, two schools, and a group, Citizens’ Alliance, had approached the apex court which stayed the PWD work to construct a central verge.
Though the stay on work order was lifted by the top court, the matter did not end there.
“A second application was filed in the apex court asking for intervention for including some modifications demanded by the residents but the petition was dismissed,” said Salem Ganapathi from Citizen’s Alliance.
Around eights apartments and two schools fall on either side of the 3.2 km stretch. Residents fear accidents along the unending divider that runs through Savitri Apartments and GK-II.
Greater Kailash MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj refused to comment on the issue.
Ramps vs Encroachment
On 11 September, the South MCD pasted anti-encroachment notices on the walls of a majority of residences in compliance with an SC order that all footpaths be made free of encroachment.
Rana and fellow residents are in a fix as the notices ordered removal of the ramp outside the gates of their houses.
“We were asked to remove the ramps, which help cars to enter elevated parking space. We support removal of encroachments, but SDMC needs to explain the logic behind removing the ramp. Even if it wants to make a pedestrian track, it should allow the ramps for entrance,” said Rana, who has written to SDMC on the issue.
The SDMC claimed that the order was well-thought about and sent on the court directives.
“The SC has ordered that within 15 days any encroachment, whether it is on pavement or carriageway, must be removed. The nature of impediments could range from guard rooms on the road, flower pots dedicated for parking and the ramps which are protruding beyond their legal right,” Deputy Commissioner (South Zone) SDMC, Vishwendra Singh asserted.
Safety Concerns
Greater Kailash, which is divided into two zones, is surrounded by popular markets including those in M and N Block of GK-I. Given that most residents are affluent, the neighbourhood has a high density of automobiles.
Locals complain of increasing cases of automobile thefts that include stealing of car parts when four-wheelers are parked outside houses. “We are taking precautions. Recently, a drive was held to verify and register all the drivers, maids and other employees with the police.
Besides, we have demanded 10 boom barriers for our area so that guards can monitor people entering and leaving cars at night. Barricades are present at the main entrances. So, boom barriers can give a sense of safety,” Rana said.
Locals have also asked their MLA to install CCTV cameras on poles rather than the gates of the houses.
“I have already installed 85 boom barriers in the neighbourhood, including those in GK-I. We will address the demand of this area. I can’t say how many can be provided... They (locals) have demanded that CCTV cameras be installed on poles, which is not the government directive..... but if they are able to do that locally, I have agreed to install cameras on poles,” Bharadwaj said.