367K homes in Gurugram illegally linked to drains: MCG survey

The findings, shared during a high-level review meeting chaired by the chief minister, point to the unauthorised discharge of wastewater

A massive sanitation crisis looms over Gurugram after a city-wide survey by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) revealed that around 367,000 out of 552,000 households have illegally connected their sewer lines to municipal pipelines, prompting Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini to order urgent regularisation and infrastructure upgrades.

Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini ordered urgent regularisation and infrastructure upgrades. (PTI)

The findings, shared during a high-level review meeting chaired by the chief minister in Chandigarh on May 28, point to the unauthorised discharge of wastewater for years—sometimes decades—without approvals or payment of civic fees, overwhelming the city’s sewer system and draining municipal revenue.

Only around 184,000 households have legal sewer connections, while the remaining 66% of Gurugram’s households continue to use municipal drains illegally. MCG receives over 200 complaints of overflow and blockages every day, and officials admit that they are unable to address even half of them on time due to the stress on sewage infrastructure from unregulated connections.

“These illegal connections are a major contributor to system failures,” said a senior MCG official, citing decades of unchecked household discharges. Under existing civic rules, property owners are required to apply for a sewer connection, pay a fee, and undergo verification before approval—but the process has been widely bypassed.

In response, CM Saini has instructed MCG to identify all illegal connections across the city’s four zones and draft a roadmap for their regularisation. Officials have also been asked to explore disconnecting illegal pipelines to force compliance.

“We are preparing a plan to regularise all illegal sewer connections. We urge residents to approach the corporation and legalise their connections to avoid penalties or disconnection,” said Pradeep Dahiya, municipal commissioner, Gurugram.

The city’s untreated sewage discharge problem extends beyond households. MCG revealed that 269.84 million litres per day (MLD) of untreated sewage are currently flowing into open drains, the report said. This discharge occurs at 165 sites, funnelling into the city’s three major drainage trunks—Leg 1, Leg 2, and Leg 3.

According to the data presented in the meeting, of the total discharge, 208.09 MLD has been targeted for treatment, with diversion works already underway at 149 sites. However, 61.75 MLD of sewage is still being dumped untreated at 16 critical locations. The Chief Minister has instructed MCG officials to draft an immediate action plan to remove these unauthorised connections and divert their outflow for proper treatment.

The most affected locations include Bajghera (2.5 MLD), Rezangla Chowk (1.2 MLD), Dharmpur village (3.5 MLD), CRPF Chowk (8 MLD), and Vatika Chowk (11 MLD), among others.

In Sihi-Kherki Daula and Gadauli Khurd, officials reported that multiple MLD of raw effluent are being dumped directly into stormwater drains, further stressing the system ahead of monsoon rains.

Gurugram’s current sewer network covers 3,540 kilometres across its 311.60 square kilometre jurisdiction, while the stormwater drainage system stretches 2,600 kilometres. But officials say this infrastructure is overwhelmed by the burden of unregulated waste, leading to recurrent flooding, overflows, and sanitation risks.