Smooth Roads, no traffic jams, no monsoon flooding, no stench of rotting garbage... Doesn't sound like the Gurgaon you live in? Just wait till 2010.

If Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) has its way, all major roads in the city would have been widened and the parks beautified before the start of the Commonwealth Games.

That's not all: with a new traffic management plan, improved pub- lic transport, Metro connectivity, the Northern and Southern Peripheral Expressways, augmented water supply, extensive sewerage and a brand new storm water drainage, the quality of life in the city is expected to improve dramatically.

All this is part of the Haryana government's game plan to project Gurgaon as a global city As Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda told Hindustan Times, "We are pretty serious about the development of Gurgaon, which is a gateway to not only Haryana but also India. We have al- lotted a budget of Rs 770 crore for infrastructure development in the city, of which Rs 220 crore has already been spent."

Not a bystander
But how can Gurgaon hope to hog the limelight when the Games are centred in Delhi? HUDA administrator G. Anupama says Gurgaon will a1so be a major activity centre during the Games, being the Capital's immediate neighbour "Thousands of people would visit Gurgaon not only for staying in hotels here, but also for the games. The city will host shooting events at the CRPF shooting range. Gurgaon is already an established brand, and we need to live up to the expectations of the residents as well as the visitors," adds Anupama.

She says the higher authorities in the state government have issued special instructions to HUDA for completing all the major infrastructure projects in time for the Commonwealth Games.

Full-steam ahead
The proposed infrastructure projects have already started taking shape on the ground. Anupama says work on laying the master sewerage lines is in its last stage. "Work on the 150-metre-wide Northern Peripheral Expressway connecting NH-8 with Dwarka is about to begin while that on the Southern Peripheral Expressway has already begun. We would also start work on the solid waste management facility soon," she adds.

HUDA is also coordinating work with other stakeholders.

"Recently, we met Gurgaon Industries Association (GIA) officials. We invited their member compa- nies to partner HUDA in the beautification of all green belts along the roads and city parks," says Anupama.

She also told Hindustan Times that HUDA has engaged the services of a multinational consultancy for preparing the city's Master Traffic Management Plan.

"This study will not only recommend the size of roads but also tell us where and how many flyovers, underpasses and crossings need to be built. The agency would suggest a model for Gurgaon's Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) as well," she said.