Many colony residents are in favor of regularisation but said it was important it doesn’t lead to the rise of a concrete jungle
With Lok Sabha elections due in April, there is a buzz in power corridors that all city colonies including Sainik Farms would get regularized before that. We reached out to several colony residents whether they would welcome the step and issues that concern them the most. Edited excerpts:
AK Singh IPS (Retd),
Anupam Garden How it gets regularised is very important. See, if it gets regularised the way other parts of Delhi have been, then it wouldn’t be okay. Normally, over here, there are two-storey buildings. It should be regularised the way it is now. There should not be any further constructions or limited constructions should be allowed, like only on ground and first floor. The flat culture shouldn’t be allowed to come up here. The regularisation should also bring good things in the colony, like schools and playgrounds for children. There is a small police post (referring to Neb Sarai Police Station). This should be upgraded. Also, there is a need for banks and post offices. These things should come up over here. One major concern is the non-existence of DJB water supply. People have to depend on government borewells for water. It’s also very important that roads are widened as two vehicles cannot pass each other easily.
Anil Mehta, Lane W 17
One main reason that government has been stalling regularisation of Sainik Farms, according to what the court have been saying, is that due to narrow roads, no proper sewage can be laid and fire tenders can’t reach residents’ homes. Residents are not willing to widen the roads by pulling back their boundary walls. Seeing the plight of residents suffering all these years due to lack of proper infrastructure, no mortgage against property etc, I started a movement for widening of roads as it is the first step to regularization. I am pleased to share that most residents of Sainik Farms have started giving their consent for it as residents have realised that it is only way to ensure smooth traffic. As soon as majority of residents show willingness to widen the roads, we shall submit the layout plans to DDA for approval. Many families of soldiers and officers live here. Imagine their plight without DJB water pipelines and ambulances not reaching on time due to narrow lanes and traffic jams. PM Narendra Modi emphasis on zero tolerance on corruption. Therefore, if 69 colonies gets regularised, then people will build homes as per the sanctioned plan. There will be no corruption in construction of buildings. These colonies would also contribute huge revenue to the government in the form of developing charges once regularized. Apart from this, the issue of drinking water supply needs to be addressed on priority.
Ashok Nagpal, Lane W 12
It should be regularised. Though it is called an affluent colony, the people over here are not so rich. If the government is planning to regularise it, then the roads should be made as per MCD rules. The roads are quite congested here. The people from adjoining areas use the roads, like people from Sangam Vihar. So, it gets quite crowded. In case of an emergency, a vehicle may not be able to move at all. The residents should be ready to give their land to the government in order to widen the road. People should also be provided with Delhi Jal Board water, not the borewell one. One more thing: those who are using their properties for commercial purposes should also pay taxes accordingly. If all these problems are solved, the colony will be in better shape.
Harish Minocha, Lane W 17
Yes, the colony needs to be regularised. There are many issues which people of Sainik Farms are facing. The roads are very narrow. The vehicles cannot move in and out. This should be sorted. The regularisation should be done in such a way that it should not affect the greenery of this area. If more people will come here, then there will be more vehicles and thus more pollution. Also, there has been a long demand for Delhi Jal Board supply of water as well as sewerage network. Also, it should be kept in the mind that after regularisation, multi-storey buildings should not come up. Greenery should not vanish. This will erode the natural charm of the colony.
Mukesh Jain,
Western Avenue Yes, definitely, the colony should be regularised. However, I have one point to make. This thoroughfare for all the other colonies through Sainik Farms should be stopped. This road has been used by people of adjacent colonies like Sangam Vihar. If vehicles from adjacent areas won’t go through this area, then there won’t be any traffic issues here. There will also be no need to widen the road also, in this case. This is the only main issue which needs to be addressed.
Suparna Anand,
Forest Lane I am very much in favor of getting Sainik Farms regularized. Firstly, it is very important for us to get clean water. Right now, we are doing with community wells, which are not quite hygienic. The water is too hard here. Second issue is that the roads need to be widened. Also, the sewage system needs to get upgraded, as collecting them in pits is not good. One of the major issues is construction. It should not be like what happened in Sangam Vihar. If it is farms, then it should stay like this. It should not turn out to be colonies like what happened in Saket and multi-storeys buildings. This should be taken care of by the authorities. The infra of some of the lanes or paths has broken down. It needs to be upgraded. Streetlighting is very bad too. If all these things are done, then Sainik Farms will be the a beautiful place to live in because, I think, living here makes us go five years younger. We have less pollution and more greenery here.
