Tanker damages STP water line in sectors 92-95, residents slam civic apathy

Local residents said the tanker operator intentionally sabotaged the line to attract business for disposing of STP-treated water to irrigate the green belt.

A 90mm sewage treatment plant (STP) water discharge line, laid for irrigating a Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) maintained green belt along the Sector 92-95 dividing road, has been deliberately damaged by a local tanker vendor allegedly linked to builder, said residents alleging that there might be collusion between the GMDA officials and the builder.

The damaged green belt. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

The discharge line was part of an irrigation system maintained under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between residents and GMDA.

According to residents, the vendor, using his own JCB machine, dug up nearly 20 metres of the stretch, damaging the pipeline, uprooting trees, and leaving the area inundated with treated water. Local residents said the tanker operator intentionally sabotaged the line to attract business for disposing of STP-treated water to irrigate the green belt.

“Since 2017, we have adopted and nurtured this green belt of over 500 metres on both sides of the road. We installed irrigation arrangements using STP-treated water, making it an effective and unique model for urban greenery. Now, this intentional act has ruined our work,” said Praveen Malik, president of Rising Homes RWA in Sector 92. “GMDA must treat this on priority, lodge an FIR, and punish those responsible. If strict action is not taken, such incidents will keep discouraging community-led development.”

Residents said they filed a written complaint to GMDA demanding immediate police investigation, but no steps have been taken so far. The inaction, they alleged, raises suspicions of negligence or even collusion between officials and the tanker mafia.

Rajesh Kasauti, a Sector 93 resident said, “The bigger concern is the silence of the authorities. If public property can be destroyed so easily, what message are we sending?”

Despite repeated complaints by residents, GMDA has not taken any action on the issue.

Meanwhile, when asked about the matter, a GMDA official on the condition of anonymity said, “The GMDA recycling pipeline network in this area is currently non-functional. In the interim, the concerned society has been utilising its own treated water for irrigating the green belts. The society may also take up maintenance of the pipeline network to ensure its proper functioning.”

Taking notice of the matter, Hitender Sharma, joint commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Manesar, said, “The matter has come to our notice and we have formed a team to identify which contractor is involved in this illegal destruction. We will not only penalise those responsible but also take strict action once they are identified.”

Vaishali Rana, an environmentalist, said, “Deliberate destruction of irrigation systems and dumping of water like this has ripple effects—loss of greenery, depletion of groundwater recharge, and ecological imbalance. It is not just damage to property but a blow to the city’s environmental health. Accountability is crucial.”