Concern for Gurugram: Sushant Lok 2 locals flag a litany of civic woes

Residents say nearly 7km of the colony’s 30km road network needs repairs, while MCG says remaining stretches will be repaired after the monsoon.

Residents of Sushant Lok phase 2, a residential colony developed in the 2000s and now home to at least 8,000 families, have raised concerns over poor road infrastructure, inadequate street lighting, irregular garbage collection, water supply disruptions and waterlogging, alleging that several issues have persisted for years without a permanent solution.

Stray cattle spotted in a vacant plot in Sushant Lok 2, seen on Tuesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Residents said several internal roads remain damaged, while poor drainage leads to waterlogging after rainfall. They also alleged that inadequate street lighting and irregular sanitation services are adding to safety and hygiene concerns in the colony.

Roads, streetlights

A damaged internal road in Sushant Lok-2 near Huda Market, seen on Tuesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Pawan Yadav, president of the Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA), said nearly seven kilometres of the colony’s roughly 30-kilometre road network require repairs. “While some stretches were repaired last year and earlier this year, several others are still in urgent need of repairs,” he said.

He said Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) officials had told residents that road work was halted due to a shortage of bitumen. “But even temporary repairs were not done by the officials,” he added.

Residents said service roads and several internal lanes are particularly affected by potholes and uneven surfaces. Prithi Singh Saha, another resident, said Sushant Lok 2 and 3 require greater attention to their road infrastructure.

“The condition of roads in Sushant Lok 2 is poor, particularly in some of the internal lanes. The damaged roads are not only causing inconvenience to commuters but also making it difficult for pedestrians to navigate the area,” she said.

Residents also alleged that some roads repaired recently have already started deteriorating, raising concerns over the quality and durability of the work.

In response, Tushar Yadav, executive engineer at the MCG, said bitumen work cannot be undertaken during the monsoon and that the remaining stretches would be repaired after the season. “If there are complaints regarding the condition of newly repaired roads, we will have them inspected,” he said.

Meanwhile, ward councillor Narayan Bhadana did not respond to HT’s calls and messages.

Streetlight failures have also added to safety concerns. Yadav said ageing infrastructure had resulted in unstable poles, which residents fear could fall. A resident said officials had promised more than 200 new streetlight poles, but no progress had been made.

“Even the existing streetlights are not functioning properly, leaving several stretches poorly lit,” the resident said.

A junior MCG official, in response, said a tender for new streetlights would be floated next week. “Following the financial and technical evaluation, the tender will be awarded. The replacement and installation of streetlights is expected to take around a month to a month and a half,” he said, asking not to be named.

Garbage, water woes

Illegally dumped garbage in a vacant plot in Sushant Lok-2 near HUDA Park, seen on Tuesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Residents said door-to-door garbage collection remains irregular, with waste sometimes not being collected for two to three days. “Door-to-door garbage collection remains highly irregular in the area, with waste often not being lifted for two to three days at a stretch,” Saha said.

She said delayed collection results in garbage piling up outside homes and on roadsides. “It’s a whole cycle. When garbage is not collected from households, it eventually ends up being dumped in vacant plots or along roadsides, leading to further sanitation problems,” she added.

Rachit Singh, another resident, said, “Garbage collection needs to be more regular. When waste is not picked up for days, residents have no option but to keep it outside, and this eventually becomes a bigger sanitation problem.”

Residents said road sweeping has improved compared with earlier, but the number of sanitation workers deployed remains inadequate. An MCG official said the door-to-door garbage collection system is being strengthened and the civic body is issuing challans for non-compliance to ensure agencies meet prescribed service standards.

Water supply is another recurring concern, with residents reporting disruptions, low pressure and irregular availability throughout the year. Saha said households frequently have to rely on water tankers. “At least twice a month there is some issue or the other. There needs to be a permanent solution. People who are paying taxes on time do not deserve such neglect,” she said.

Pawan Yadav further said some households still complain of water supply problems almost every week. “Residents spend thousands of rupees on tankers every week, and those taps have virtually run dry in some lanes,” Yadav added.

Meanwhile, an MCG official said a faulty pump had caused a water supply disruption in May and was subsequently repaired. “If we receive any further complaints, we will get the issue checked. Otherwise, the water supply is adequate,” he said, requesting anonymity.

Waterlogging woes

Residents said several stretches get inundated during rainfall because of inadequate drainage and alleged improper desilting of stormwater drains.

Yadav said several drains had not been desilted properly. Saha said, “Despite being located in such a central part of Gurugram, we continue to face basic drainage issues. Even after rainfall, several stretches remain waterlogged because the stormwater drains are not adequately maintained.”

Singh said desilting should be carried out properly and regularly before the monsoon. Tushar Yadav, executive engineer at the MCG, said the civic body had completed desilting work but would inspect the area again in view of residents’ complaints.

With inputs from Yasha Jain.