Concern for Gurugram: Sushant Lok 3 locals flag road, waste, waterlogging woes

Residents of the 2000s-era colony, home to at least 10,000 families, also flagged cracked streetlight poles and irregular waste collection.

Residents of Sushant Lok Phase 3, a residential colony developed in the 2000s and now home to at least 10,000 families, have raised concerns over deteriorating roads, ageing streetlight infrastructure, irregular garbage collection and recurring waterlogging.

Residents said internal roads need repairs, while vacant plots and a service lane near Aloha Apartments are being used for waste dumping. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Residents said several civic issues have persisted despite repeated complaints, with poor maintenance affecting movement and public hygiene in parts of Sushant Lok Phase 3.

Roads woes, sewer overflow

The cratered main road in Sushant Lok-3, Sector 57 on Tuesday. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

The road near Aloha Apartments is riddled with potholes and has deteriorated badly, residents and commuters said. They added that the stretch was repaired only a few months ago but had again developed potholes, raising concerns over the quality and durability of the work.

“The road was repaired only a few months ago, but it is already full of potholes again. It is difficult and unsafe for both residents and commuters to use this stretch, especially during peak hours. The authorities need to look into the quality of the repair work and fix the road on an urgent basis,” said Aradhana Mudgal, a resident.

“While the sector is an upscale locality, such civic issues should not be overlooked. The civic authorities must take cognisance of the problems and ensure timely action to address them,” she added.

Residents said a service lane near Aloha Apartments is also frequently flooded because of sewer overflows, making it difficult, particularly for pedestrians, to pass through.

“This service lane is usually filled with sewer water, turning it into an unhygienic stretch for everyone and poses a serious concern for public health. Despite repeated complaints, the issues continue to persist,” a resident said.

They also said several internal roads of Sushant Lok Phase 3 require urgent repairs.

Tushar Yadav, executive engineer of MCG, told HT that bitumen work cannot be undertaken during the monsoon and that stretches requiring repairs will be fixed after the season. “If there are any other complaints regarding the condition of roads, it will be taken into cognisance and similarly it will be fixed,” he added.

On August 31, HT also reported that two individuals were injured after portions of balconies on three different floors of a building collapsed subsequently in Sushant Lok Phase 3. Fire department officials had said the two were inspecting a cracked second-floor balcony when a portion collapsed, followed by portions of the first-floor and ground-floor balconies, trapping them under debris.

Garbage woes, ageing streetlights

Illegally dumped garbage along the service road in Sushant Lok-3 near Sector 57, as 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.

“Delayed collection has now resulted in garbage piling up outside houses and also leading to residents throwing the garbage on the vacant land. It is a vicious cycle,” said Prittha Singh Saha, a resident of Sushant Lok Phase 3.

Residents of Aloha Apartments alleged that illegal dumping has become a recurring problem near the service lane.

“The dumping has become a regular nuisance near the service lane. Garbage is being left in the open, which not only makes the area unsightly but also creates unhygienic conditions. The authorities need to take strict action against those responsible and ensure regular monitoring of the spot,” Mudgal said.

Residents also said vacant plots are used for illegal dumping and waste often remains there for days, although it is sometimes lifted within two to three days.

A sanitation inspector of MCG attributed irregular door-to-door collection to the sanitation workers’ strike. “Our five-year tender has been approved and with this, there will be regular pickup from the homes. It will be soon implemented in the city, which will end the stop-gap arrangement,” he said.

Residents also flagged ageing streetlight infrastructure, alleging that some poles have cracks near their bases and could collapse. They said officials had earlier indicated that a tender would be floated to replace the streetlights, but no action had followed.

“The condition of some of the streetlight poles is a serious safety concern. There are visible cracks near their base, and residents fear that a pole could collapse at any time,” Saha said.

“Even the existing streetlights are not functioning properly, leaving several stretches poorly lit,” said Pawan Yadav, residents welfare association (RWA) president of Sushant Lok 2 and 3.

“Streetlights are a basic civic facility, and their maintenance should not be delayed until there is an accident. The authorities need to inspect the poles and replace the damaged ones on priority,” he added.

An MCG official told HT that a tender for streetlights in Sushant Lok Phase 3 will be floated within this month and 200 poles will be replaced.

Waterlogging concerns

Waterlogging also remains a recurring concern, with residents saying several stretches become inundated during heavy rainfall. They said low-lying areas and stretches with inadequate drainage are particularly affected, with stagnant water taking considerable time to recede and disrupting traffic and movement.

“The issue is not limited to a few hours of rain. Water remains accumulated for a considerable period, making it difficult for people to commute and creating unhygienic conditions. The authorities need to identify the vulnerable spots and improve the drainage system so that the problem does not recur every monsoon,” Saha said.

In response, an MCG official, asking not to be named, said desilting had been carried out thoroughly in the area and that the situation had improved.