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MCG to conduct audit of cleaning of drains after repeated plaints from residents

Gurugram: The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) will conduct an audit of sewerage drains across the city to ensure they are unclogged, officials said on Friday

Published on: Jan 27, 2023, 23:43:49 IST
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Gurugram: The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) will conduct an audit of sewerage drains across the city to ensure they are unclogged, officials said on Friday.

Gurugram, India-December 01: Dirty water of the Najafgarh drain logged in the Daulatabad village field at Dwarka expressway near sector-107,in Gurugram, India, on Thursday, 01 December 2022.(Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)(Pic to go with Abhishek Bhel's Story)
Gurugram, India-December 01: Dirty water of the Najafgarh drain logged in the Daulatabad village field at Dwarka expressway near sector-107,in Gurugram, India, on Thursday, 01 December 2022.(Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)(Pic to go with Abhishek Bhel's Story)

Officials said that they have already formed teams that will carry out the audit and inspection within 15 days. Also, proper safety gears will be provided to sanitation workers to ensure their safety, they added.

The initiative was taken after residents of at least six sectors complained to the civic agency regarding overflowing sewage water from drains.

Residents have alleged that sewers and stormwater drains have not been cleaned since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020. They said many overflowing drains in the city have flooded internal roads, adding that they are forced to bear the stench as repeated complaints to the civic agency have fallen on deaf ears.

Sevesh N Mathur, a resident of Block F in Sector 57 said that the area smells foul due to the sewage water overflow and it becomes difficult for them to move out of the house. “We have no place left to park our cars and despite paying from our pockets to get the drain cleaned, it gets clogged after every fortnight,” he said.

Joginder Singh, former president of the residents’ welfare association (RWA) at Sushant Lok 3, said that they have written to the MCG for more than 10 times in the last three months, but to no avail.

“There are at least 15 blocked sewers in the area and the continuous overflowing of filthy water has damaged the roads. Residents are forced to wade through the accumulated water every day and on many occasions, the water enters the basements and raises a stench. The foul smell emanating from the contaminated water forces us to remain indoors,” Singh said.

Residents said despite tall claims of cleaning the drains and blocked sewers on a regular basis, the situation has been deteriorating every passing day, exposing the lackadaisical attitude of the civic body.

Sector 45 residents also echoed the same woes. They said the condition of roads have become worse due to the overflowing drains. “Every day, residents have to make arrangements to get the roads cleaned as filthy water has been overflowing for the last three months,” said a resident.

Similarly in sectors 5 and 23, the sewers are clogged and overflowing for the last many days.

Dinesh Vashisht, president, of sectors 3, 5 and 6 RWA, said that residents are facing the problem of overflowing drains for more than six months, leading to foul stench and unhygienic surroundings. “The sewer lines are choked and desilting has not been done in years. The sewage water also floods our houses and basements,” he said.

MCG joint commissioner Naresh Kumar said sanitation teams have carried out desilting of sewer lines and personnel will be sent to the areas to check the ground situation. “We will ensure the issue is resolved at the earliest. We have started auditing the areas from where complaints are regularly being received. We will get the drains cleaned on regular intervals,” he said.

  • Leena Dhankhar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Leena Dhankhar

    Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More