5 yrs on, no sewer lines: Gurugram’s Wards 19, 20 allege civic apathy

According to MCG’s own internal assessment, several areas—Bhondsi, Dhumaspur, New Gwal Pahari, Behrampur, and Ullawas—remain without any sewer or drainage networks

While the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) claims it is fully prepared for the monsoon, residents of Wards 19 and 20 continue to face chronic waterlogging, with large areas lacking even basic drainage infrastructure five years after being brought under the civic body’s limits, according to residents.

A stretch in Vishnu Garden, Ward 20, Gurugram, inundated during last week of May due to persistent sewage overflow. (HT Photo)

Despite MCG spending ₹13.62 lakh in Ward 19 and ₹10.82 lakh in Ward 20 last year for water disposal over the years, residents say the flooding situation remains dire. Neither stormwater drains nor sewer lines exist in many parts of these wards, leading to two to three feet of stagnant water that takes days to clear after rainfall, locals allege.

According to MCG’s own internal assessment, several areas—Bhondsi, Dhumaspur, New Gwal Pahari, Behrampur, and Ullawas—remain without any sewer or drainage networks. These localities were incorporated into the MCG limits in December 2020 yet continue to suffer from repeated flooding every monsoon.

“Five years have passed since Bhondsi and surrounding areas were brought under MCG, yet not a single sewer line or drain has been built,” said Rakesh Thakur, a Bhondsi resident. “During the monsoon, waterlogging reaches up to two or three feet, and we are confined to our homes,” Thakur added.

“MCG’s solution is to pump out water using tankers, which is time-consuming and inefficient. There has been no effort to build a permanent drainage system,” said SP Sahu, another resident.

The situation in Ward 20 is equally inconvenient, locals said. Flood-prone areas include Bandhwari, Ghata Underpass, Muzaffar Ali Farmhouse in New Gwal Pahari, CRPF Camp Road in Kadarpur, and E-Block near Sector 55-56. Even where a master drain exists, such as in Ghata, elevation issues render it ineffective, residents allege.

MCG officials maintain that steps have been taken this year. “We have already assigned machinery to all identified waterlogged locations in Wards 19 and 20. A permanent solution for drainage will be executed soon,” said Sumit Kumar, joint commissioner, MCG.

However, residents remain sceptical, citing the lack of visible progress over five monsoons. Both wards are overseen by SDO Kuldeep Yadav, with junior engineers Arif Khan (Ward 19) and Sandeep Hooda (Ward 20) responsible for field-level operations.When contacted, the officials cited above that they will soon visit the areas to check on the ground situation.