Broken roads, waste: Ggm’s Sector 21 battles decades of civic neglect

A 28 acres plot of land in the heart of the residential colony, adjacent to the HSVP sector market has become a major source of pollution.

Developed almost four decades ago, one of Gurugram’s oldest residential areas, Sector 21 is facing numerous civic issues, ranging from broken roads, open garbage dumping, accumulation of construction waste, among others.

Piles of garbage along the main road of Sector-21 near pocket-C. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

According to the sector’s resident welfare association (RWA), the sector has 1600 plots, out of which approximately 1200 are occupied, with a population of around 20,000. Residents alleged that despite repeated pleas and protests to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), the infrastructure and civic facilities in the area have remained broken for over last two decades.

Prakash Lamba, RWA president, said that despite being a large residential colony, the sector does not have an operational direct access road since 1982. The residents have to take either the revenue road of Dundahera to reach their homes or the road from Krishna Chowk, which was made on land donated by a private industrialist. “We have been demanding that the 24 metres direct access road from Old Delhi road which has remained stuck due to land related litigation should be constructed. Residents have to take longer alternate routes, which makes commuting difficult,” he said.

The RWA also alleged that the condition of the internal roads in the entire sector is bad, and despite MCG’s promises to repair the roads soon, the work has not started yet. “The sector 22 and 23 sector dividing road which is used by our residents are also in bad shape. We want the authorities to repair the roads at the earliest,” said Lamba.

Unchecked open garbage dumping

A 28 acres plot of land in the heart of the residential colony, adjacent to the HSVP sector market has become a major source of pollution as hundreds of tonnes of garbage and construction waste is dumped there, claimed residents.

Residents said that earlier there used to be large illegal settlements on this land, where several structures were constructed for tenants to live. “Several hundred illegal shanties were constructed on this land where people used to engage in sorting of garbage and waste. These huts were demolished by authorities but large amounts of waste are still dumped there ,” said KL Sharma, RWA, general secretary.

Sharma said that the land, which is under litigation, is still being used as a dump yard by illegal operators. “Due to this waste dumping, the Sector 21 market is badly affected and people prefer to avoid it. The condition of the shops and the parking area is very bad. Hundreds of stray animals keep roaming around in the market and sector road. We have asked the authorities to take steps but no action is seen on ground yet,” he added.

Water shortage

Residents alleged that the sector has been facing drinking water shortages for the last two decades. According to residents, this problem had forced them to rely on water tankers, which come at a hefty price. “The problem of water scarcity has been perennial and we have been protesting every summer on this matter. It was only after repeated requests that state minister Rao Narbir Singh inaugurated the GMDA pipeline’s work in July this year but that work is also going at a snail’s pace and it is unlikely that this work will be finished by summer next year. We request the municipal authorities to expedite this work so the issue of water scarcity is resolved to some extent,” said Sharma.

Traffic congestion

According to residents, Sector 21, located on the Delhi borders sees heavy traffic from Bijwasan daily during peak hours and locals face issues as the internal roads are not meant to cater to such a large volume of traffic. “Traffic from Dwarka and west Delhi enters the sector through Bijwasan road. There is an urgent need for an alternative road for this traffic,” said Rajesh Kumar, a resident.

Lack of community centre

The sector’s community centre is in a dilapidated condition and cannot be used by residents for any community or social function. Residents said that they have been demanding the construction of a multistory community centre, which was earlier agreed by municipal authorities but now they are showing not much interest in the project. “We have even offered to get the community centre constructed in PPP model but there is no forward movement from the authorities,” said Sharma.

Ashok Yadav, an advocate and resident of the area said, “The authorities need to resolve the problems holistically instead of quick fixes as these do not give results in the long run,” he said.

“We have already launched enforcement drives across the city, and the situation has visibly improved,. The issue of road and water pipeline is being resolved and tenders hVe been awarded. Illegal shanties were removed earlier by authorities and the garbage dump will also be cleared gradually.” said Ravinder Yadav, additional commissioner, MCG. “All issues are being addressed zone-wise to ensure systematic regulation and timely compliance by every establishment.”