In heart of Gurugram, two dilapidated buildings continue to pose risks
GURUGRAM: It took the life of seven citizens in North Delhi to realise the perils of dangerous buildings. The incident comes just months after the building collapse at the Greater Noida which also prompted the senior public officials to take action against the illegal buildings in Gurugram. Yet, in the heart of the city, the dangerous structures are allowed to function putting lives of thousand people at risk daily.
Being declared dangerous for four years by the district authorities, the Gurugram bus stand building, spread over 20-acre area, is still functioning as the transport authority is struggling to develop new bus stop in the city. This difficulty is being faced even as several announcements have been made by the government to make a new bus stand.
Constructed in 1958, it is the lone bus depot in the city that forces many commuters to risk their lives daily even though they realise the building is unsafe.
Though there were plans to set up a new bus stand in the available areas of sector-29, Rajiv Chowk and Narsinghpur village beyond Manesar various, hurdles have prevented the building of the new bus stand. Coincidentally the founda-
tion stones of some of the new bus stand have been inaugurated by top ministers of the state.
Even though sources in the transport department said the plans of constructing new bus stand were not shelved, various delays compelled them to pay for the maintenance of the present bus stand that has not yielded any results.
Just few meters away from the bus stop, the Gurugram civil hospital is also in poor shape. Such has been the condition that on multiple times, the slabs have fallen off in the hospital. To reduce the burden of the hospital, a new hospital was set up in Sector-10.
Yet, that has not reduced the number of patients coming to the civil hospital at
Sadar where more than 1,000 patients visit the OPD daily. Despite spending of substantial amounts of money for the maintenance of the 43-year-old hospital building, it has not yielded any positive results like the Gurugram bus stand. A formal decision has been taken to expand the civil hospital located in Sadar Bazaar area of Gurugram.
In order to increase the capacity of patient beds, a new 100-bed hospital was be constructed in the area where the government school is situated at present. The coming up of the new structure will, however, force the Government school, which was constructed in 1899, to be demolished. However, this plan was stalled after protests by the teachers and the students.