New area in Gurgaon to have 'Raahgiri Day'

Raahgiri Day, a weekly street event which turns specific roads here into a traffic free zone every Sunday, will soon be implemented in a new area of the city, a police officer said Thursday.

The initiative, first of its kind in India, will start in the Palam Vihar area of the city.

Raahgiri Day is modelled after Ciclovia, an event that began in Bogota, Colombia in 1976, which closes streets to cars and opens them for the exclusive use of people for running, cycling, skating, or other recreational activities - a concept that has inspired several cities around the world.

"We have asked the deputy commissioner of police (West) to select the loop of road in Palam Vihar area for the Raahgiri Day and submit his report as soon as possible," joint commissioner of police Bharti Arora told IANS.

Arora also holds additional charge of traffic in Gurgaon.

"Hopefully, March 9 will be the first Raahgiri Day in the Palam Vihar area. Special dog show will entertain people on the first day. Haryana Police's musical band will also perform for people," she said.

Palam Vihar connects Delhi from Bijwasan and Kapashera areas.

Raahgiri Day got an overwhelming response since it was introduced in the city Nov 17 last year in DLF-4 area.

The event was launched by Gurgaon commissioner of police Alok Mittal and supported by all major administrative units of city, including Traffic Police, Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA), Municipal Corporation Gurgaon (MCG) and Public Work Department (PWD).

On the first day, around 10,000 citizens participated in the friendly event.

More than two lakh people from the city and the National Capital Region (NCR) have since then participated in the event every Sunday.