Now that the election is over, electricity outages are experienced every day but admittedly, for now they have not been too long. Last night, the power returned in just 30 min and during the day, each time it’s returned within 2 hours. Having been a New Gurgaon resident for some years, I’ve seen much worse.

I’m all for conserving power by willingly observing Earth Hours and organising my life around a known outage schedule — after all, I’m an Indian and used to a tough life! My complaint is really about a missing government office to announce an outage schedule and answer enquiries about long breakdowns.

May just happen when there is a clearer division of authority and accountability between HUDA, GMC and DHBVN…

After some pleas and grovelling, I was able to scan 2 lists full of b/w thumbnails of voter photos but didn’t find the 2 faces that mattered to me. To add to the frustration, they were randomly arranged so I was supposed to spot my entry from a poor print of Kishore or my face on one of the several pages – well, I didn’t find any photos resembling us.

Having been enthused by Tata Tea’s Jago Re campaigns, I wasn’t going to give up easily. I decided to merge in the crowd pleading 2 RWA volunteers in one of the 3 stalls to scan all 4 lists on a CD with voter ids. It seemed thoughtful of the volunteers to have arranged a cd with a laptop to do this good deed for their fellow Indians. But they seemed troubled, tired, dehydrated and at the end of their tether of patience. People were screaming out their names and addresses for checking, brandishing their Election cards and trying to pull off any print-outs they found in each other’s hand. In a way, it was amazing to see their determination to cast their vote. But this confusion only added to the woes of the volunteers who were grappling with multiple lists even on the CD to look for a single name! They’d keep telling people to go back home or go inside the school building and complain to officials rather than waste their time.

After exercising a mix of cajoling and patient waiting, when my card finally appeared in the volunteer’s hand, in my mind, I re-visited the problem of who to vote for. None of the election candidates had carried out any noticeable campaigns in New Gurgaon and, judging from the state of the city’s infrastructure, the performance of the elected candidate in the previous years had been appalling. Well, I thought that I should still do my bit to ensure that at least the roads getting paved don’t languish and the Metro actually arrives here in 2010. It seemed though that destiny had other plans and neither Kishore’s nor my name could be found by the volunteers. This is when we’d cast our vote in the previous elections from the same location, using the same Election cards!

We decided to try our luck at the last point of checking – inside the school building where 2 officers were armed with 4 lists of alphabetically arranged names. Here, we could only get to 3 lists but not our names. Then, coming back home to share this experience and scanning the Net for officers to register our protest with, seemed to be the only recourse…

It was so clear that the contestants had not only no interest in our vote, they had put in ‘systems’ in place to ensure that they got minimum votes so their comfortable positions weren’t affected.

To let you in on these funny revelations: A popular creeper that grows well in this region and referred to as Floro dom dom is actually a variety of Rhododendron; a hardy low height flowering plant that brings a huge respite from the summer heat is known among maalis as Photo Ilaaka and we figured its name as Portulaca; a winter flower labelled as Sukh Belium is actually Sweet William and a fragarant white cluster of Gaindi Taup is intended to be Candy Tuft !

Aren’t the invented names really innovative and funny?

An excellent online resource that has unravelled these mystery flowers to us is Flowers of India. Its interface may seem uninspiring but its database and search options are aweinspiring.

And, here’s our list of maalispeak that I’d love to have your contributions to:

Maalispeak – Common Names

Burbeena – Verbena
Gaindi Taup – Candy Tuft
Floro dom dom – Rhododendron
Photo Ilaaka – Portulaca
Punchutia – Poinsettia
Sukhbelium – Sweet William

The new ADC gave instances of our possible support to Gurgaon’s Traffic Department in the form of suggestions on converting some roads to one-way, synchronising traffic lights, filling of ditches, putting up appropriate road signage and more. He insisted that TOs share their suggestions in writing and that he was serious about taking the city traffic management forward. He recounted aspects of Chandigarh and London roads that could work well in Gurgaon.

As I heard that the officer was earlier in Chandigarh, I heaved a sigh of relief that my dream of seeing Gurgaon roads assuming a clean and well-managed look of Chandigarh was finally inching towards reality. But I got very worried when a TO brought up an issue concerning parking woes of Gurgaon’s Sadar area or another highlighted the issue of road encroachment as that of paramount concern, as like most meetings I had previously attended, I felt that even this was going to end up with diverse noises and nothing conclusively worked out. I decided to keep aside my hesitation, and found myself giving an overview of how the last year was spent mostly going over much of what we as citizens felt must be done in the city urgently. That we met religiously, gave written suggestions, discussed possible parking patches, and what did that help achieve? The city signage was still woefully inadequate, roads were still unnamed, traffic rules ambivalent, traffic lights rather temperamental and most of all, even though there seemed to be enough traffic personnel around, they didn’t seem motivated to enforce good driving practices among people. In fact there would be no exaggeration in summing up the year-long exercise of TO meetings as a wash-out — even if it appeared to make a Government plan of initiating public participation somewhat real. Even if that plan translated for some individuals into forming NGOs to absorb some form of Government support. The city drivers were still getting away driving in opposite directions, ignoring traffic lights, and the city’s semi-constructed roads were creaking under the mess of vehicles of all sizes and speed.

Mr. Praveen Kumar reassured me and others that things were different. He was keen to get specific suggestions from people and work on them. That gaps in departmental coordination was hardly an issue of concern. In a couple of days, he was going to set up a 24-hour traffic helpline to take suggestions and he needed to know from TOs where street lights were inadequate, traffic lights didn’t help, there were unfilled ditches, parking insufficient, roads be made one-way and where was traffic congestion still unresolved.

Well, by the end of the meeting I’d some renewed hope for the city. I’m about to retrieve my earlier notes, add more suggestions and pass along some printouts to the ADC’s office in a couple of days. Tell me soon if anyone wants anything specific included.

The biggest issue appears to be an ambiguity about the actual administering authority in the city. For all these years, most of us have believed it to be HUDA* but do we trust its planning or find its departments accessible or see it acting on the most basic of the city infrastructure in an organised and timely manner? No.

Two months ago, we came across a report about a newly formed Gurgaon Municipal Corporation but it conveyed a lack of clarity on the timeframe for the body to get its teeth. I’ve scanned the Net and found a website of the Gurgaon Municipal Council but am unsure if this is indeed the newly formed Corporation or an old defunct body. I’ve written to them asking their mandate so some of us can know where to go for problems. I hope there would be a response.

Additionally, what intrigues the likes of me about Gurgaon is the totally biased media coverage on the city’s glitz quotient. It overlooks the fact that the city roads are still unnamed, poorly planned and badly constructed; that the road construction projects, where started, do not finish for several months; that there is no consistent signage here; that the city’s sewage system stinks (pun unintended); that public places do not have adequate planned parking areas, and vacant plots are hurriedly and haphazardly prepared under pressure to somehow provide some space to the city’s burgeoning vehicles; that HUDA sector parks do not look cared for; that community centre and school buildings remain unused and their state degenerates due to neglect; that street lights do not remain on or are still to be installed on half-made roads; that the city is mostly a no-power-zone where private developers haven’t provided power back-ups; and as my earlier posts attempt to convey, there is no usable public transport system to speak of. Of course there have been a few stray reports of this kind that summarise the situation more eloquently than my efforts, and where manageable, I write and thank them for such responsible reporting.

So…my questions to HUDA/GMC* and other authorities are – Is it ever going to change for us for good? Should we keep dreaming of a bright future or reconcile to a nightmarish present?

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*Acronyms used: HUDA – Haryana Urban Development Authority; GMC – Gurgaon Municipal Corporation

When I moved to (New) Gurgaon 12 years ago, I knew of just one taxi stand in the DLF-I area that appeared to have 3-4 taxis. The stand used to be out of vehicles most of the time and its charges of Rs250 for a drop at the airport felt exorbitant. So high that I didn’t consider them as an option for regular commutes and used them for those unavoidable outstation trips when the whole family had to travel. An even bigger issue used to be to get back into Gurgaon once we returned by air/train. A private taxi service posted at the domestic airport would charge Rs400+ and guys at Delhi stations would charge at least double that amount.

Then, there came a time when any long-standing local worth his name opened a taxi stand and our newspaper would be full of coloured fliers announcing various Yadav Taxi Services. The first month or two of sending fliers, these taxi operators would take calls at all hours but a vehicle sent by them would mostly be an ancient ambassador that would be rattling from all sides. At some point, we started getting Indicas for which we thanked our stars but shelled out more. I also remember many occasions in these years when despite lots of coloured fliers in my folder, I couldn’t find a taxi for an essential trip to the airport.

When the pre-paid taxi counter at the airport started service for Gurgaon about 3 years ago, we were overjoyed. We didn’t mind standing in the only queue for our turn to proudly announce our destination. Once out with a paid slip though, we would dread approaching taxis because as they would hear Gurgaon, they would make some excuse to skip us. About a year ago, GMR appointed volunteers to ensure the next available taxi for any passenger with a paid slip, and that has been helpful. Taxi drivers still misbehave once out of the airport’s surveillance area but we try to brave their attitude.

More recently, it has gotten easier for anyone to get in and out of Gurgaon as along as one can remember a radio taxi number and overlook the expense. At Rs15/- km radio taxis work out expensive but at least they are there and most services provide vehicles that move without pairs of hands pushing them. Their numbers are so similar that I can only remember a couple – 41414141 or 43434343. These are Delhi-based services and take a while to arrive but they sure do and drivers don’t complain about anything – neither the location of one’s house nor the distance. Recently, I learnt about Gurgaon’s own radio taxi service called Komfy. Its office is in one of the DLF shopping complexes and with its Rs350+Rs52 (towards toll) for the domestic airport, it actually proves comfy as the passenger doesn’t have to grovel either for reducing the music volume or switching on the airconditioning. A local taxi operator in comparison recently quoted Rs400+Rs84 and in all likelihood he would have brought along a companion to chat with on the drive! Komfy’s drivers are not slick but they’re uniformed and the service works. Their number is also comfortably ensconced in my head as 4777888. Hopefully, future will see more such services for a healthy competition.

For moving about the city, the only modes of public transport one sees with some effort are cycle rickshaws and shared autos. Cycle rickshaws became noticeable about 7-8 years ago, and even though they brought respite to people for ad hoc usage, with the city expanding rapidly and still full of poor roads, they can hardly be viewed as a viable option to commute. But while I’ve taken a cycle rickshaw at some point, I’ve never braved a shared auto till now.

Earlier, we saw just New Delhi-style auto rickshaws exhibiting ingenious use of cramped space by carrying 2 extra benches and about 10-14 people for a single trip – I believe they charged, and still do, Rs5/- for every fixed point of destination. We would see the semi-rural crowd from villages Jharsa, Kanhai, Sikanderpur and more, using them regularly. Now we also see some roomy ones sporting benches facing, and behind, the main seat but they are mostly noticed on the MG Road. They seem new, appear to allow respectable sitting space to its occupants and also carry some urban crowd in the form of BPO staff or young couples. But with their sparse network and the model of point-to-point trips, they prove unreliable for most janta.

Government buses don’t ply within the city but they do carry a lot of hapless commuters to Delhi on one side and Rewari, Manesar, Dharuhera, Pataudi on the other. They are certainly not a pleasant way to commute but where there is no choice, they’re considered a blessing. Some private builders have contracted buses to transport their inhabitants to Delhi or old Gurgaon, but most public is unaware of their schedule, and in any case these ramshackled buses can only be identified by their regular passengers.

Most of us are therefore learning to fend for ourselves by overcoming our fear of driving and by arranging any kind of wheels we can manage. This leads to much confusion and traffic on the city roads but a big positive of this phenomenon is the independence that women and older folk experience by learning to transport themselves.

Amid this confusion on our roads, of late we’ve been witness to regular construction activity at various points to usher in the Metro. Much of the inconvenience due to the Metro related mess reassures us that it’ll become a reality and improve the way we commute.

Before that when an RWA member had suggested that I go over and attend a meeting at the DCP’s office for I drive around Gurgaon and would have a view on traffic issues, I was alarmed at the idea! And yet, I was interested in checking out the inside of a Government building and connecting with officials. Gurgaon as a city shows little administration so I thought if DCPs were encouraging public participation in any initiative, we ought to let them know that we’re keen to see reforms. But to join as a Traffic Warden, as the role was called at that time, was too confusing an idea because I didn’t see myself calmly parking my vehicle some place and actively navigating traffic in chaotic situations. I dislike chaos!

Well, curiosity and reasonable civic sense made me pass along my application and I joined as a Traffic Observer (TO). I was presented an id card at a ceremony by none other than the CM of Haryana!

Now to share with everyone the general traffic scene in New Gurgaon:
Traffic lights came into Gurgaon for the first time only about two years ago but the locals still remain unused to them and public doesn’t quite understand their schedule for staying on/off – just when one starts taking them seriously, one finds them off on the next use. Traffic rules aren’t clear and some of us try to follow what we manage of Delhi traffic rules. However, it is common to find helmet-less heads on two-wheelers; women and men cruising leisurely with tilted heads and cell-phones glued to their ears; driver/companion without seat belts on; utter chaos and speeding vehicles at roundabouts; parking nightmares all over the city; serious issues with road engineering; and unnamed and badly constructed roads where we’re fortunate in finding any.

Ever since I’ve acquired a TO’s label though, I’ve noted that the administration has appointed DCP/Traffic for the first time, ushered in more traffic personnel in the city, more traffic lights have come up, the police control room number logs calls from TOs on problems reported; and DCP/Traffic wants to have suggestions (not just problems!) from public on managing traffic better.

So, here’s what Gurgaonites can do to help:

• regularly share traffic problems (while offering solutions) with TOs in their area, or
• join as a TO to play an active role (ask me for steps involved)

After a couple of ad hoc meetings, DCP/Traffic and TOs have settled on the format of a monthly meeting on the last Friday of every month before which we’re expected to submit issues/suggestions in writing.

For now, I’m the only woman TO among the current 86 members in the city and also one out of only four members from the New Gurgaon or East Gurgaon area. The rest are from Old or West Gurgaon. I’d like the areas of Sushant Lok, DLF phases I-V, South City represented at the monthly meetings so specific problems concerning them are brought up. And, I’d like the administration to know that we want the city traffic better managed.

So, see how you’d like to contribute…

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Acroynms visitors might find baffling: RWA-Residents Welfare Association; DCP-Deputy Commissioner of Police; CM-Chief Minister; TO-Traffic Observer

There are days every week when outages last 5-8 hours at a stretch or certainly average to that long with their frequency on many other days.

I get goose-pimples thinking of the time when BSNL had monopoly in Gurgaon as a fixed line provider and a huge torture public had to go through to keep their phone lines functional. We’d to grovel for bills, and frequent fault repair required measures that are best left unrecalled. Then Airtel fixed line happened and there came other options in the form of WLL and multiple mobile service providers – and now when this city still has very little working from roads, sewage, municipal services, public transport, road signage to power outages, it feels a huge blessing to be using broadband provided by private ISPs, getting e-bills/sms reminders and paying bills online — even if computers have to be kept running on bigger and even bigger back-up devices.

We try hard to remain connected with the world in the hope that some company would find management of power a profitable business and lobby for its privatisation.