Gurugram’s sector 67 residents struggle with sewage overflow from drains

Backflow from stormwater channels and sewer lines has caused foul-smelling wastewater to flow out onto the open road, which is also home to other condominiums like M3M Golf Estate, M3M Cosmopolitan, M3M Urbana, Emaar Marbella, Ireo Victory Valley and Ireo Uptown.

The Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) on Thursday wrote to the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), requesting them to expedite maintenance of drainage infrastructure in Sector 67. This comes on the heels of complaints filed by residents of Bestech Park View Spa Next, a condominium near Sohna Road on the Sector 66/67 street, regarding sewage overflow in the area.

Sewage overflowing on to the main street, from both sewers and stormwater drains at Sector 67 Sohna Road, in Gurugram. (Yogendra Kumar/Hindustan Times)

Backflow from stormwater channels and sewer lines has caused foul-smelling wastewater to flow out onto the open road, which is also home to other condominiums like M3M Golf Estate, M3M Cosmopolitan, M3M Urbana, Emaar Marbella, Ireo Victory Valley and Ireo Uptown. “However, we are the worst affected, as most of the sewage has collected just outside our apartment,” said Deepak Narang, a resident of Park View Spa Next. Residents had also met state minister for public works, Rao Narbir Singh, on August 19 to raise their grievances.

Those living in the area said they have been struggling with the issue of poor sewage management for at least two years, and that the issue worsens each year with the onset of monsoon. According to an HSVP official, the issue can be pinned to two reasons. “The first is that the sewer lines, which were illegally connected to Ramgarh village to carry sewage into the Badshahpur nullah, are now being desilted by the MCG. The second is that the stormwater drains also requires maintenance, which needs to be taken up by the GMDA,” said YM Mehra, additional chief engineer, HSVP.

Mehra said the HSVP, though it has built most of the area’s infrastructure, is not directly responsible for fixing the sewage issue. “All formalities for transfer of concerned infrastructure in the area has been completed. The work is with the GMDA now. We have written to them after directions from PWD minister, in the interest of fixing the issue at the earliest,”he added.

The HSVP’s letter to the GMDA, a copy of which is with HT, says, “Considering the rainy season, it is requested to kindly direct the concerned staff of your department to take up the maintenance immediately as pondage in front of Park View Spa Next has been created due to sudden heavy downfall and created blockage/silting at some points.”

To the MCG, the HSVP has written, “It was found that the master sewage line has been blocked and desilting work has been taken by your department. The progress of desilting work may be accelerated so that the effluent may not be accumulated on roads.”

While MCG’s chief engineer, ND Vashisht did not respond on Thursday, Lalit Arora, chief engineer, GMDA, said, “The MCG is doing the desilting work to clean up the illegal sewer line. The GMDA will take over its part of the maintenance soon, by September 10. There shouldn’t be any issues thereafter.”