Sarhaul: ACT charts path to climate-resilient ‘Model Urban Village’

Gurugram: The Alliance for City Transformation, or ACT initiative of Praja Foundation and YLAC, conducted its second major convening in Gurugram recently on reimagining the Sarhaul Urban Village precinct as a climate-resilient “Model Urban Village.”

Aptly titled, “ACT on the Ground”, the event brought together urban planners, corporate leaders, local administrators and community representatives to brainstorm practical interventions for transforming unplanned urban pockets.

Organised by the Raahgiri Foundation, the session started with an experiential walk from Gully 7 to Sanath Road that underlined the stark contrast between Sarhaul’s heat-stressed interiors and the greener, pedestrian-friendly Model Street.

The director of the Raahgiri Foundation, Nidhi Madan, said Sarhaul should be viewed as a “Climate Lab”-one that has the potential to generate citywide solutions for heat stress and water security.

This was followed by a multi-stakeholder roundtable at Nagarro’s office on bridging the divide between Udyog Vihar, the corporate hub, and Sarhaul, the residential village.

Key issues included micro-level interventions such as shaded street corners and permeable pavements, revival of the village pond for water resilience, and pedestrian and cyclist safety. Speakers from Nagarro, Gurujal, Safetipin, and local civic bodies spoke on the need for collaboration among corporates, government, and communities.

YLAC’s Venika Menon said insights from Sarhaul would shape an actionable roadmap for the Model Urban Village initiative, which aims to create inclusive, climate-

ready cities.