Roads

Winding roads, highways, potholes, dirt tracks. India has them all. A few years ago the best 'highway' was only 2 lanes with no dividers in between. It was OK in the 80s when I started working. A drive to Jaipur or Chandigarh from Delhi would take 5 hours in a panting Ambassador car without airconditioning. The roads were tolerable with very little traffic. It all started changing after that. Many thousands of cars and trucks later the Jaipur highway had become a menace. Once when coming back we just had to stop at a Dhaba as we were literally sandwiched between smoke belching, rumbling monsters. In the one hour we sat at the Dhaba disconsolately we must have counted a thousand trucks roaring by. Finally, we summoned up the courage to start again and limped into Delhi hours later. All this changed when the Jaipur highway got 4 laned. Then for a brief blissful period you could get to the pink city in 3 1/2 hours. But it was not to last, Manesar happened and Bhiwadi and the traffic grew and grew until it was back to a 5 hour ride and growing.

Anyway this is not a lament or history of India's road network but a paean of praise for India's most fabulous road - The Yamuna Expressway. Mayawati may have been overfond of handbags and their contents but she has gifted UP something to be proud about. Last Sunday we drove to Agra from Gurgaon and came back the same day. The roads are immaculate all the way. The Expressway is a ribbon of perfection against the background of emerald green fields and menacing storm clouds. Traffic moves like lightning and we actually made the return trip all the way from Agra to Gurgaon in just 2 1/2 hours. Akbar would have been truly amazed!

Development does come at a price and it is a bit of a shame to think of all the fertile land that has got swallowed up for making the road. But something has to be sacrificed for improvements and I guess it's a small price to pay!

I heard that the Ganga Expressway from Agra to Gorakhpur has been sanctioned and work will start soon. Can't wait!