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DOWN THE DRAIN.......Gurgaon’s woes overflowing

Govt Claims Mega Projects; Potholed Roads, Overflowing Sewers Dot Gurgaon

Gurgaon: With glitzy highrises and malls, the millennium city has its nose up in the air, yet the roads leading to it are potholed and the sewers overflowing. It merely takes a sprinkle to convert the city into a virtual pool — blame it on the missing storm water drains or faulty sewer lines.

While the government claims mega projects are in the pipeline for the master sewerage and drainage system in Gurgaon, nothing seems to have made a difference to the fragile infrastructre of the city.

Time and again, hapless residents have raised their voice against the pathetic sewer system, only to be forced to bow down to bureaucratic apathy. In a writ petition to the Punjab and Haryana High Court against the misuse of extra development charges collected by HUDA, an NGO, SURGE, stated that there are four trunk sewer lines in the city, out of which, three have been shown to be completed by HUDA. But in reality, the existing trunk sewers are either blocked or not fully functional. For instance, the master sewer along NH-8, which carries waste from branch sewers of DLF city, South City, Sushant Lok and HUDA sectors, has been overflowing for the past several months. This is because both NHAI authorities and HUDA have been busy passing the buck on to each other.

In several places, the sewers have not been connected with trunk lines, as in sectors 40, 39, 10A and 9. In other locations, master sewers have not been laid along the master road. A case in point is Sector 25-25A. At Palam Vihar, one of the sewer lines is lying blocked for several years and the sewerage has been diverted to an open storm water drain. Sectors 27, 28, 43, 42, 53, 54, 55, 56 are not even linked to any sewerage treatment plant.

Says R S Rathee, president of Gurgaon Residents’ Council, ‘‘Sewage lines in builder-licenced areas have not been connected to the HUDA main line with the result that sewage is being pumped out in open areas through open drains’’

The sewage of Sun City and colonies around Sohna Road like Malibu Town and South City II is also being pumped out into the open. The design of the sewage line at A-block extension of DLF Qutab Enclave Phase I is faulty, and no solution has been found for the past 15 years. Sewage is being pumped out in open areas, right in front of residential areas.

Attests the convener of Peoples’ Action, Shashi Sharma, ‘‘There are virtually no storm water drains in new Gurgaon, resulting in waterlogging, damage to roads and traffic problems. The drains around DLF Qutab Enclave Phases II and III, which existed for years, have been blocked for development purposes, but no alternate drainage system has been devised.’’ There is no storm water drain around Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road, Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, or any of the new sector roads, including the 60-metre Master Road constructed by HUDA. The residents of Palam Vihar are so tortured by the overflowing storm water drain that they have even filed a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.


WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE: A slushy road leading to Sector 29, Gurgaon; (below) overflowing sewage in Sector 17.


However, the government claims that 102 kilometers of various sewer lines of various sizes, have been laid along sector roads. Says S P Gupta, administrator, HUDA, ‘‘A sewerage treatment plant (STP) of 15 MGD capacity constructed by HUDA is functional. Another unit of 50 MLD capacity near village Behrampur is being taken up, for which land has been acquired. Work has already been allotted for construction of the main treatment plant. To upgrade the sewage system, we have invited consultants, after which tenders will be invited.’’ The total amount spent on master sewerage upto March this year is Rs 71.20 crore.

Apart from this, Rs 1320.4 lakh has been approved for construction of carrier drain, check dams and recharge bore wells. Adds Gupta, ‘‘Out of the 100 crore earmarked for storm water drainage, Rs 2 crore has been spent.’’ But the results are far from visible at the ground level.

Where the hell does these money goes then....??