Gurugram: Crumbling roads and severe traffic congestion in Udyog Vihar, one of India’s leading industrial hubs, have become a daily nightmare for lakhs of office-goers and business owners. Commuters are spending as much as 45 minutes to cover a stretch of just 500 metres due to pothole-ridden roads and poor traffic management.
The worst-affected stretch is on Old Delhi Road, where traffic from both the Jwala Mill and Shankar Chowk sides crawls during peak morning and evening hours. Around 2,800 industrial units spread across Phases 1 to 5 depend on these roads, resulting in significant losses of time, fuel, and productivity for lakhs of employees and businesses.
Despite a road redevelopment tender being awarded in 2018, construction has yet to begin. Officials blame the delay on an administrative tussle between HSIIDC and GMDA, with responsibility for the roads shifting between the two agencies. HSIIDC Deputy General Manager Arun Garg said the roads were officially handed over to GMDA in 2018, making the authority responsible for their maintenance.
Industry Bodies Demand Immediate Action
Ashok Kohli, President of the Chamber of Industries of Udyog Vihar, said he wrote to GMDA in May and again in December, urging authorities to repair the road connecting Jwala Mill, Udyog Vihar, Shyam Chowk, Atlas Chowk, and Shankar Chowk, but no action has been taken.
HP Yadav, President of the NCR Chamber of Commerce, said multiple traffic management experiments by the traffic police have failed. He suggested long-term infrastructure solutions such as an elevated road or an underpass to ease congestion.
AP Jain, Founder of the Udyog Vihar Industries Association, stressed the need to widen roads, remove encroachments, regularly clean footpaths, and create adequate parking facilities, saying the lack of parking is further worsening traffic.
Akshay Aggarwal, Joint Secretary of the Udyog Vihar Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said several roads in the industrial area are in extremely poor condition, with daily traffic jams causing heavy losses in time, fuel, and business productivity.
