How extreme apathy keeps Gurgaon dark at night

Gurgaon: Life for women in Gurgaon continues to be difficult despite tall claims made by civic agencies to make the city safer. Dark stretches, unreliable public transport and inadequate security make women easy targets on city roads.
In fact, major points in the city, including Udyog Vihar, Shankar Chowk, Shyam Chowk, Huda City Centre and Iffco Chowk, are badly lit, even though lakhs of working women use these stretches to go back home after work.
"My office is in Udyog Vihar and I take the Metro back home from IndusInd station, which generally requires a short walk. However, it often turns to be an unpleasant experience as the stretch is badly lit and there is hardly any police patrolling after dark," said Ayushi Gupta, an executive.
Haryana State Industrial and Infrasture Development Corporation (HSIIDC) officials said the contract for installation of streetlights in the area has been given to the MCG.
However, sources told TOI the installation work of streetlights in Udyog Vihar phase four, which includes the stretch from Shyam Chowk to Jwala Mill Road, was disrupted after the responsibility of the lights was handed over to the civic body. This is a road used by employees of several companies such as Airtel, Indiabulls and Snapdeal. MCG officials said they will carry out an inspection on Wednesday and get the lights fixed.
Similarly, the road from Huda City Centre to Cyber Park becomes deserted after dark. Khushi Murarika, who works in Cyber Park, said, "The stretch after Fortis gate till Cyber Park has no streetlights, which makes walking on this road very scary. I make it a point to be on the phone while taking that route at night."
The road connecting Iffco Chowk and Huda City Centre is also in the same condition with the spot opposite Westin Hotel totally dark without any streetlights.
"I generally take a shared auto from Iffco Chowk to Huda City Centre. Last week, the driver stopped midway as the auto broke down. As the rest of the commuters grabbed on to another shared auto, I was left behind looking for conveyance. I could not find anything and had to walk down the road with motorists brushing past me," said Aaina Goyal, a student.
When contacted, MCG chief T L Satyaprakash said, "The corporation is in the process of replacing the halogen lights with LED in the areas that are currently not well lit. We will also be adding 45,000 new lights in the city."