Gurugram, Oct. 18 -- For Leela Kumari, 41, a domestic help who uses the pedestrian subway near Anaj Mandi and Kisan Bhawan on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway every morning, the daily commute comes with a deadline: she must cross the subway before dusk. Poor lighting makes the subway unsafe after dark, and she avoids using it at all costs, highlighting how inadequate infrastructure can turn an everyday commute into a grave safety issue for women.

"This subway is not at all women-friendly. We usually try to use it in groups, as most of us do not feel safe crossing it alone," she said.

Kumari's experience is far from isolated. Several subways across Gurugram remain in a state of neglect, with inadequate lighting, broken steps, foul smells and ...