Greenwood City residents protest toe-wall demolition over waterlogging

Residents said removal of the 35-year-old wall opened three roads, increased through traffic and affected more than 1,000 families in about 300 houses.

A large group of residents of Greenwood City, including members of the residents’ welfare association (RWA), protested outside the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) office on Tuesday against the demolition of a toe wall on August 26, alleging that its removal had resulted in severe waterlogging, particularly in Block A, affecting more than 1,000 families living in around 300 houses.

The RWA said Greenwood City lies 3-7 feet below adjoining areas and its drainage system was not designed to handle runoff from Sector 45 and Kanhai. (PARVEEN KUMAR/HINDUSTAN TIMES)

The residents also submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner, Gurugram, earlier in the day, seeking intervention and relief from the waterlogging and security concerns they said had arisen following the demolition.

The RWA members alleged that the toe wall, which they said was constructed nearly 35 years ago, had helped prevent water from adjoining areas from entering the colony. They also said its removal had opened three roads that were earlier blocked by the wall, turning them into throughfares and raising security concerns for residents.

“Greenwood City is located substantially lower than adjoining areas, with an estimated level difference of around 3-7 feet at some locations. The demolition of the toe wall has led to heavy waterlogging, and our security has also been compromised. We want the department to resolve the issue and allow us to erect a fence on the roads,” said Vinod Dahiya, president of the Block A RWA.

“When the society had come up, there was no sector 45, and it came up almost a decade later. The toe wall has been protecting us from stray animals and waterlogging for more than three decades, and its demolition has caused a lot of problems for the residents,” said Ajit Punia, a resident of A Block.

The residents further said Greenwood City’s internal drainage network was designed to cater to the colony and was not intended to receive runoff from adjoining Sector 45 and Kanhai village. They alleged that the removal of the toe wall had therefore aggravated waterlogging in the colony.

The Greenwood RWA also urged the department to verify the original sanctioned layouts of Greenwood City and subsequent plans for Sector 45 to establish the boundaries, road alignments, drainage arrangements and status of the affected patch.

“Our internal roads are being used as throughfare while these were not designed for the same,” said another resident.

Amit Madholia, district town planner, enforcement, said the toe wall was demolished because it had been constructed in violation of the rules. He said the residents’ concerns over waterlogging would be taken up with the concerned authorities but ruled out allowing them to construct another wall.

“I have assured the residents that their grievance pertaining to waterlogging will be taken up with the authorities concerned, and this will be resolved. However, the construction of a wall will not be allowed,” he said.

Madholia added that residents of Sector 45 and its RWA, who had complained against the toe wall, had also been asked to attend a meeting so that the issues raised by both sides could be heard.

He said that the toe-wall was demolished as it was constructed in violation of the Haryana Urban Development Act 1975. “The wall cannot be allowed to be reconstructed, but the department will take up the issue of waterlogging with the authorisation concerned and get it resolved,” he added.

OP Yadav, president, Sector 45, said residents there wanted public access to the roads to remain open. “We want the roads to remain open, while the problem of waterlogging should be resolved,” he said.