The woes of walking in Kishangarh

“Sir where do you want to go?”

“Kishangarh”

“Will we have to go deep inroads? If so, I won’t accept this ride”

These conversations are commonplace when cab drivers are informed that you wish to travel to Kishangarh. Such is the state of the roads of area code 110070 that they have attained folklore status when it comes to areas to be avoided. Suffocatingly narrow roads flanked by busy shops on either side ensure a constant hustle and bustle. Add in two rows of vehicles trying to make their way through and you are left with a funnel of sweat, smoke, noise and pollution.

This is just the beginning of the issues, though. The next point of pain is the condition of the roads and sidewalks. The streets are a dilapidated mix of gravel, stone and sand that is part chipped and part constructed. Fragments of concrete randomly jut out of the ground making driving a perennial nightmare. Two wheelers crawl through the street while drivers fight to keep their balance, autos bumble along creaking at every bump while four wheelers squeeze through the narrowest of spaces often at the cost of scratched doors and fenders.

Adding to this chaos, probably the biggest detriment to quality of life in Kishangarh, is the lack of cleanliness and sanitation. Garbage is discarded freely and openly along the side of the road and there is minimal accountability as to who will pick it up and when. The lack of an organized method of garbage disposal leads to heaps of garbage lining one’s everyday commute. Even when civic authorities respond and send a garbage truck, it is not enough to eliminate the sheer quantity of rubbish that has been collected over multiple days.

“We have gotten used to it but this is no way to live. It smells disgusting and the area has been infested by crows and rats. Flies keep circling around carrying who knows what kinds of diseases. We worry for the health of our children. Once we save up enough money, we will surely move out of here.” These are the words of a local parts store owner who lives above her shop. Such sentiments are echoed unanimously by most inhabitants.

It is not that attempts for improvement haven’t been made. Locals have registered countless complaints to their municipal representatives but respite, if any, is minimal and short lived. Although garbage trucks and road cleaners provide temporary relief, there is no long term strategy in place to bring about a tangible difference in the quality of life of the Kishangarh residents. While the common reasonings apply, there is another factor that prevents progress in this area- illegal settlements.

According to residents, massive residential structures have been erected in the Mehrauli/Kishangarh/Vasant Kunj border area that have no justification or formal allowance for their existence. There are claims that the land which was earmarked for being a dumping ground or forest area has been cleared out to act as a cheaper alternative to Vasant Kunj as a residential area. When natives of such buildings raise alarm for development, the authorities get caught in a Catch-22 situation. "How can you sanction projects for an area which was never meant to be used for residential or commercial purposes? In doing so, you will be exposing past corruption and a lack of oversight," said one angry Kishangarh resident.

Furthermore, a precedent gets set wherein every illegal settlement would then have the right to demand from the civic authorities regardless of the viability of those demands. A larger conversation thus looms over our heads. It is known that illegal pockets emerge out of a need to provide shelter to a certain strata of the population. So now once that need has been fulfilled, is it the government’s duty to provide for further comforts? Or do the settlers have to literally “settle” for the rest of their lives given the nature of the four walls they occupy?