Rapid urbanisation leave residents gasping for breathe along Dwarka-expressway

GURUGRAM: With increase in construction activities and roads not being cleaned, residents of Sector 108 and 109 along the Dwarka-expressway said that the area has turned into a dust bowl.

Residents blamed the lack of enforcement of environmental norms while carrying out construction activities behind the increase in dust pollution. They added that this is posing a serious threat to their health.

Residents added that a 1.5-km stretch from Conscient One to Shobha International City and the road connecting Dwarka Expressway is full of layers of dust, and traffic movement is making the matter worse. Besides, uncovered construction material, unpaved roads, dumping of construction material on roadsides, illegal dumping of C&D waste are also adding to the problems of the residents.

Residents of ATS Kocoon, Shobha International City, Brisk Lumbini Terrace Homes and The Caladium among others have raised the matter with the authorities, but their complaints have fallen on deaf ears. They further alleged that despite the tall claim by the civic authorities, roads are also not being cleaned.

Prashant Kansotia, a resident of ATS Kocoon, said, “There is no mechanism in place to ensure regular lifting of C&D waste and road cleaning. With heavy vehicles carrying construction material round-the -clock, dust remains suspended in the air. Even though we are now under the MCG, not much attention is being paid to our area. With so much dust around, we can’t even walk without gasping. There is no cleaning of the road or sprinkling of water to minimise the effect of dust pollution.”

Echoing similar sentiments, Major Tiwari, a resident of Brisk Lumbini Terrace Homes, said, “The area is getting developed at a very fast pace and a lot of construction activities are going on. All construction norms are being flouted blatantly and the civic body is also not doing anything. I have filed a complaint with CPCB last month but no action has been taken so far.”

Meanwhile, a senior official of the MCG said that the civic body is carrying out regular cleaning of roads across the city. “The area has been recently included in MCG and we have not received any complaint so far,” he said.