Gurugram: Waterlogging, poor roads plague residents of Sector 10

“The private van that drops my son refuses to enter the area when there is waterlogging

“The private van that drops my son refuses to enter the area when there is waterlogging. Then I have to wade through knee-deep water to pick him up,” shared Reema Khatri, a resident of Gurugram’s sector 10.

Damaged internal road in Sector 10, as seen on August 23. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

The sector, home to at least 2,000 families and city’s only Civil Hospital, sees heavy movement of people, but host of civic issues, including severe waterlogging, pothole-riddled roads, inadequate drainage, open manholes and stray cattle.

“Basic civic infrastructure such as roads and drainage should be well maintained. Unfortunately, the sector lacks these essential facilities,” said resident Naveen Bhardwaj.

Waterlogging, in particular, remains a major concern. On August 24, for instance, heavy rain inundated several parts of the city including sector 10, with areas near Euro International School and the bus depot among the worst affected.

The roads all fill up with knee-deep water, said residents, disrupting traffic and turning into a safety hazard.

An ambulance driver, asking not to be named, said Basai Road, on which the Civil Hospital is located, too gets flooded. “It is difficult to run the ambulance.”

Bhardwaj blamed inadequate drainage. “Every time we raise the issue with Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) officials, we are told that the work is ongoing. At some point, this response becomes ridiculous, especially when the problem continues year after year,” he said.

Ward councillor Avnish Raghav said ongoing desilting work was contributing to the waterlogging. “The situation will improve after the work is completed,” he said.

An MCG official said the tenders were in place and desilting would be completed soon. “We had arranged pumps and suction tankers to pump out the accumulated water promptly,” the official said.

Potholes and inadequate drainage

Residents also flagged the poor condition of several roads, particularly the stretch connecting Sector 10 to the Civil Hospital. They said the road, despite having been repaired, was again riddled with potholes.

“The main entry to Sector 10 from Basai Road is in shambles. There are many potholes present just 10m away from the Civil Hospital,” Bhardwaj said.

Residents alleged that roads leading to several schools were also potholed and uneven.

“Both the Civil Hospital stretch and this road, which are of utmost importance to residents and commuters, have been neglected by the authorities,” Khatri said.

“Basic road infrastructure is essential for the smooth functioning of any residential area. When roads are in poor condition, waterlogging only makes the situation worse, turning potholes into hazards and making it difficult for residents, schoolchildren and commuters to move safely,” said resident Shikha Kumari.

According to the ward councillor the bitumen roads had been damaged due to persistent waterlogging. “Once the drain work is complete, the roads will be repaired,” he added.

Residents further said several sewer and rainwater-harvesting manholes remain open, creating a safety hazard.

An MCG official said the drain project was 50% complete and the remaining work would be taken up after the monsoon.

“The ₹5.5 crore tender was awarded earlier this year, the contractor has completed half of the work, and the remaining work will be done after monsoon season,” the official said.

Stray cattle add to traffic woes

Residents also raised concerns over stray cattle roaming on roads and near residential areas.

“Some of the roads in the sector are quite narrow, and with vehicles trying to navigate through them alongside stray cattle, movement becomes difficult. This not only poses a safety risk for commuters but also leads to unnecessary delays and congestion,” said Khatri.

HT has earlier reported that, according to the MCG, more than 7,000 stray cattle are currently on the streets of the city.

Officials said that the contractor awarded the tender in December last year to catch stray cattle and relocate them to shelters was not complying with the requirements, following which a fresh tender had been floated.

On August 21, MCG launched a special campaign to make Gurugram stray cattle-free, constituting four teams to catch cattle and send them to gaushalas. MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya said legal action would be taken against anyone obstructing the campaign.