Colonies handed over to Gurugram civic body in June, but infrastructure still deficient: RWA

GURUGRAM: Taken over by the MCG in mid-June, the colonies in Sushant Lok-2 and -3 are still teeming with civic issues ranging from sewage overflow to unsafe water supply, residents said on Tuesday.

They alleged that the issues have only gotten worse in the last few weeks, with the civic authority having done little to resolve the issues since it took charge of the colony.

One of the key issues, they said, is a choked main sewer line that triggers waste to spill onto the streets. Sewage overflows in at least 40 spots in the area.

Besides that, blocks A and D of Sushant Lok-2 are not even connected with the main sewer line, which often means waste inundates the streets there.

“There is a serious health hazard due to unhygienic surroundings as the dirty water flows onto the roads continuously. Every morning, we are greeted by the stench of sewage and the situation worsens when it rains. The MCG needs to be proactive and address our issues immediately,” said Ruma Bhateja, a resident of Sushant Lok-2.

The colonyies’ RWA took a similar stand. Pawan Kumar Yadav, president of the RWA, said: “Despite the MCG takeover on June 15, we are still facing several civic issues and some of the essential services have degraded further. There is a major sewage overflow and waterlogging issue in the colonies as the sewer line and storm water drain haven’t been maintained for the past 15 years. Even the MCG did not ensure that it was cleaned before monsoon. It is a complete civic mess.”

He added that the MCG needs to immediately start on the clean-up process in the colonies of around 10,000 families.

On Tuesday, a senior official of the corporation admitted that there was a problem of sewage overflow in Sushant Lok as some drains were not connected to the main line. “We are working on resolving the issue and preparing the estimate to connect the sewer line. Until then, as a stop gap arrangement, we have installed pumps and a suction tanker,” the official said.

Others alleged that some pockets in Sushant Lok-2 were getting water supply that appeared to be unsafe for use.

“We have been getting gray water that stinks for the past month. Despite repeated complaints, no action has been taken so far. MCG officials aren’t even responding to our calls. There has been no improvement when it comes to basic civic amenities since the corporation took charge,” said Ashwani Kathuria, a resident.

Apart from no maintenance work, the residents also complained that the MCG had not initiated any development work for parks or green belts. Similarly, the internal roads in the colony were badly damaged and full of potholes, while garbage was lying strewn around, they said.