Question

Article on chaotic traffic conditions of Delhi

Answer 1

Long and unending traffic jams, now even on public holidays, are taking the sheen off some of the better-known posh South Delhi colonies, especially those close to Outer Ring Road. This when only a couple of years ago there were hardly any bottlenecks one would encounter along Outer Ring Road. As construction work related to Metro Rail, flyovers, and widening of roads go on and on along Outer Ring Road, this whole activity is forcing high-profile tenants out of areas like Panchsheel park, SDA, Hauz Khas, Mayfair Garden, among others. New tenants are also avoiding such places in their search for new rented accommodation. Everybody will testify that if one were to drive to any of these places from CP for some work, then one would encounter traffic snarl-ups and jams at Defence Colony, BRT corridor, Asian Games Village, apart from routine heavy traffic. And if it rains or there is some mishap along the way, then it is an extended session on the road. Right from Nehru Place to RK Puram, the stretch is badly affected due to chaotic scenes on Outer Ring Road - and the worst part is nobody can say when things will settle down. Realty expert Anil Makhijani of Mak Realtors presents a very grim picture of the whole scenario. According to him, there used to be a veritable rush of people, always on the look out for accommodation in areas like Panchsheel Park, SDA, Hauz Khas and Mayfair Garden - even as recently as one-two years ago. “You cannot say the same thing for all these areas now, as well as other colonies close to Outer Ring Road - all because of the massive traffic woes. Those who have no option but to take the Outer Ring Road to reach their office or home suffer the most due to the snail pace of traffic and the daily jams,” says Makhijani. Naturally, in order to save themselves from such a messy situation, many tenants staying in areas close to the dreaded Outer Ring Road have moved to areas like Defence Colony, Lajpat Nagar-3, South Extension, and Safdarjung Enclave in recent months. As for those who have offices in either Gurgaon or Noida, they have either shifted or are thinking of moving houses. Dr Mahesh Sharma of the department of traffic management, IIT, says the mess on the Outer Ring Road is a result of some very bad planning among various government bodies and that it calls for an urgent review to sort out the matters. Meanwhile, a realtor says the rentals have never seen such a dip in these colonies. If realtors are to be believed, the average rent in these places has come down by up to 25% to 30%. It is a big fall by any standards. As if this were not enough, there are no takers for houses in all these posh places. Another realtor Pradeep Mishra of Sainik Estates says there are many residents in colonies all over Delhi who run their household from rental income and they are sure to be affected if they don’t get rental income on a regular basis. Ashok Mirchandani (name changed), a photographer by profession, has been living in Mayfair Garden for several years now. His father, who was a journalist, built this Mayfair Garden house when the area, dominated by Sindhis, came into existence. He very candidly admitted that rental income is the only regular income he has. After retirement, he runs his home from the money he gets from his tenant. “As there are not many takers for Mayfair Garden, I am really worried - I need a tenant within the next two-three months for my vacant first-floor house, otherwise it will be difficult for me to run my household,” he confides. He knows pretty well that tenants avoid his area as reaching there is like conquering some difficult mountain.

Answer 2

Long and unending traffic jams, now even on public holidays, are taking the sheen off some of the better-known posh South Delhi colonies, especially those close to Outer Ring Road. This when only a couple of years ago there were hardly any bottlenecks one would encounter along Outer Ring Road. As construction work related to Metro Rail, flyovers, and widening of roads go on and on along Outer Ring Road, this whole activity is forcing high-profile tenants out of areas like Panchsheel park, SDA, Hauz Khas, Mayfair Garden, among others. New tenants are also avoiding such places in their search for new rented accommodation. Everybody will testify that if one were to drive to any of these places from CP for some work, then one would encounter traffic snarl-ups and jams at Defence Colony, BRT corridor, Asian Games Village, apart from routine heavy traffic. And if it rains or there is some mishap along the way, then it is an extended session on the road. Right from Nehru Place to RK Puram, the stretch is badly affected due to chaotic scenes on Outer Ring Road - and the worst part is nobody can say when things will settle down. Realty expert Anil Makhijani of Mak Realtors presents a very grim picture of the whole scenario. According to him, there used to be a veritable rush of people, always on the look out for accommodation in areas like Panchsheel Park, SDA, Hauz Khas and Mayfair Garden - even as recently as one-two years ago. “You cannot say the same thing for all these areas now, as well as other colonies close to Outer Ring Road - all because of the massive traffic woes. Those who have no option but to take the Outer Ring Road to reach their office or home suffer the most due to the snail pace of traffic and the daily jams,” says Makhijani. Naturally, in order to save themselves from such a messy situation, many tenants staying in areas close to the dreaded Outer Ring Road have moved to areas like Defence Colony, Lajpat Nagar-3, South Extension, and Safdarjung Enclave in recent months. As for those who have offices in either Gurgaon or Noida, they have either shifted or are thinking of moving houses. Dr Mahesh Sharma of the department of traffic management, IIT, says the mess on the Outer Ring Road is a result of some very bad planning among various government bodies and that it calls for an urgent review to sort out the matters. Meanwhile, a realtor says the rentals have never seen such a dip in these colonies. If realtors are to be believed, the average rent in these places has come down by up to 25% to 30%. It is a big fall by any standards. As if this were not enough, there are no takers for houses in all these posh places. Another realtor Pradeep Mishra of Sainik Estates says there are many residents in colonies all over Delhi who run their household from rental income and they are sure to be affected if they don’t get rental income on a regular basis. Ashok Mirchandani (name changed), a photographer by profession, has been living in Mayfair Garden for several years now. His father, who was a journalist, built this Mayfair Garden house when the area, dominated by Sindhis, came into existence. He very candidly admitted that rental income is the only regular income he has. After retirement, he runs his home from the money he gets from his tenant. “As there are not many takers for Mayfair Garden, I am really worried - I need a tenant within the next two-three months for my vacant first-floor house, otherwise it will be difficult for me to run my household,” he confides. He knows pretty well that tenants avoid his area as reaching there is like conquering some difficult mountain.