Gurugram’s Sector 23A residents raise alarm over persisting civic problems

Gurugram is reeling under insanitary conditions as residents of Sectors 23 and 23A, and Palam Vihar Colony have complained about the unbearable stench emanating from leaking sewer pipelines and accumulated waste in these areas.

According to the locals, the garbage is dumped on roadsides for days and the roads in residential and market areas are not regularly cleaned, and the overflowing sewers and leakages in pipelines have added to their woes.

Ashish Kumar, a resident of Sector 23A, said the dirty water accumulated in the vacant plots of Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) were becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes, resulting in the risk of vector-borne diseases.

Another resident, Pooja Sachdev, said a sewer pipeline had been clogged for long, and urged the MC authorities to ensure that it was de-clogged on priority.

Rohit Yadav, president of the Sector 23A RWA, alleged that the practice of unauthorised dumping of waste along roads, on vacant plots and in market areas was increasing, and the MCG was not making efforts to ensure the proper door-to-door garbage collection in the city.

He said the domestic waste was not being regularly collected by employees of the private firm hired for the work.

The residents also complain that many roads in the areas are in deplorable condition and need to be repaired on priority. In addition, the stormwater drains at some areas were damaged during rains, thus posing danger to the lives of commuters.

Shivam Shah, a resident of New Palam Vihar, highlighted the problem of rising population of stray dogs in Gurugram while laying stress of the need for immediate measure to contain the dog bite cases in the area. He said, “The MC should shift stray dogs to kennels managed by the civic body for the residents’ safety.”

The locals have also brought up the problem of widespread encroachments, with illegal vends being set up along the roadsides, in parking spaces of markets and on vacant plots.

Meanwhile, a senior official of the MCG said that they had begun the process of hiring a private agency to manage the operations and maintenance of sewerage in Wards 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, and 17. The decision came in response to numerous complaints about sewage overflow filed by the residents of New Palam Vihar and Sector 23A, and the estimated cost of the project was Rs 5.74 crore, he added.