E-Paper
MCG fined ₹7.5cr for pumping sewage into highway drains
Gurugram The court of highway administration has imposed a ₹7.5 crore penalty on the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Friday for diverting sewer water
Gurugram The court of highway administration has imposed a ₹7.5 crore penalty on the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on Friday for diverting sewer water into the drains constructed by the concessionaire of the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway from 2015-16. The MCG has been asked by the highway administrator to pay the amount within 30 days of the court order.
“The MCG is not serious about the safety and convenience of road users of Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway. The court is of the firm opinion that liability of reimbursement of the expenditure incurred on the permanent restoration of damages amounting to ₹5,68,89,378 as certified by the independent consultant needs to paid,” read the court order.
The court also directed MCG to pay additional charges of ₹85,33,407 under Highway Act 27 (recovery of cost of removal of unauthorised occupant and fine imposed) and an additional penalty of ₹99,15,000 (under Section 26 of Highway Act — removal of unauthorised occupation).
The MCG was issued notices for removal of unauthorised occupation of drains was in 2016 and 2017, but no subsequent action was taken.
Officials of the concessionaire, Millennium City Expressway Private Limited (MCEPL), appreciated the verdict and said that the MCG had blocked the drains on the national highway. S Raghuraman, chief executive officer, MCEPL, said, “The drains on the highway were blocked by sewage water flowing from MCG. This led to water flowing on the Hero Honda Chowk, when Gurujam happened in 2016.”
In 2016, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had asked MCEPL to repair the overflowing drains, to ensure commuter safety. “In November 2016, NHAI had asked the chief secretary of Haryana to direct MCG to take up the repair works immediately. No such repair work was taken up and all restoration was done at the cost of concessionaire,” said Raghuraman.
He said that they had spent around ₹5.6 crore on restoring the drains as well as making the service roads.
MCEPL officials said that this matter could have been resolved earlier, but for two years, the court ceased to function. The last order from the court of highway administration came in May 2017, when the court was satisfied by the restoration work done by the MCEPL.
Subsequently, the court ceased to function but was resurrected after a Government of India notification in September 2019.
MCG officials said that they will challenge the verdict as they had already paid around ₹7 crore in 2015 to the NHAI, for making the drains.
ND Vashisht, chief engineer of MCG, said, “We will appeal against this verdict as this is not right. The MCG has given the amount to the highways authority.”
However, officials of the concessionaire said that the MCG had paid the amount for a different project in 2015.
“The MCG had submerged its sewage water in the drains on the highway and this led to flooding. We had to rebuild the drains and make the service road. So, the MCG needs to pay up now,” said Raghuraman.
