To Action Area III in third gear !

It has been over a month now since the Bailey bridge connecting the rest of township to Action Area III collapsed. There is no news of replacing it with a new bridge yet. Instead what has come up is this signage.

 

So, as suggested we took the Bagjola Canal expressway to get to AA III – which has some of the shining stars of New Town – the much talked about and well advertised, the Keppel Magus venture Garden Elita Vista, Shapoorji Pallonji Mass Housing - Shukhobrishti, and the DLF project.

Check out this video for the ride to AA III, in third gear !

In my previous post, I have made it clear, how I have been enamored by the precise execution of the SP project. My stand feels vindicated, as nearly a dozen families have already moved in despite poor infrastructure in the area, bad roads, no daily need stores and even not very many neighbors.

In talking to a SP personnel, they confirmed that electricity has been brought to the LIG section of the housing, via underground cabling. There has been and still is stiff opposition in erecting power poles for overhead distribution of power. Also underground water is being bored for distributing to the residents. However lately some projects have been promised water to be supplied to the New Town area. Boring water tends to be prone to contamination, in addition to disturb the ecological balance of an area.

In the name of public transport there are some stray and rickety auto-rickshaws which run sporadic services to the area.

I accompanied a friend who has invested in the MIG section of the SP project. We were able to take a driving tour of the MIG site and also took a tour of the model apartment.

Just across the street, is Garden Elita Vista – A Keppel Magus venture, promising us Singapore in New Town.

Keppel Magus

Singapore in New Town

We walked inside the glass gates at the Elita Vista site, and met up with one of their executives Sourish. He identified us instantly from our many previous and frequent visits. He had his reasons to cast his doubt about our purpose of these visits. We had to tell him about the this blog the social cause we were serving. It helps me make me feel good about myself :)

We sat down and talked with Sourish and got his take on what he thinks of Action Area III and the infrastructural issues plaguing it. He confirmed that the electricity is being brought in with the aid of underground cabling. And HIDCO has okayed the developers to dig the ground for water. We agreed that the politics was damning the development and progress of New Town. He was not sure, if much would change post-elections either. If a new government is sworn in.

He liked the idea of this blog and asked me who do I intend to save it from ? Pat came the reply. From our political masters, who are using this as a tug of war. And even HIDCO, given their lackadaisical pace of work. Sourish came up with a good one – he said, ‘One can’t save a baby from it’s mother’. The inference being – New Town is the baby and HIDCO and our political masters being joint-mothers !

He was able to give us some stats. Only about 105 flats out of about 680 flats are all that are remaining. As per him, about 97% of the units have been purchased by end-users. He also added that phase 1 was to be handed over in October this year. Seeing the progress, it certainly seems doable.

 Workers laying down underground electrical cables

The big cable spool !

To conclude, it does look like AA – III is gearing up for prime time. If the infrastructural activity keeps up the pace, along with the developers handing over the apartment to it’s rightful owners. Winds of change may be blowing in the direction it needs to. Let us at least hope so.