Civic Concerns in Sector 59Residents of Sector 59 have raised multiple civic concerns, including delayed sewer work, deteriorating roads, non-functional streetlights and illegal dumping of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, alleging that the issues continue to disrupt daily life in the Gurugram neighbourhood despite repeated complaints to authorities.Residents say taxi drivers avoid the dug-up stretch at night, citing poor lighting and safety concerns, especially for women commuters. (Parveen Kumar/HT)Home to nearly 10,000 families and located near key commercial areas, the sector continues to face infrastructure deficiencies, residents said, adding that delays in civic works have affected commuting, safety and sanitation.Sewer work, flooding disrupt commuteIssues with Sewer Laying WorkResidents said the ongoing sewer laying work on the revenue road, the only link connecting four residential condominiums to the main road, has left the stretch dug up for nearly a month, causing inconvenience to residents and people from nearby villages.They questioned both the timing and pace of the project, saying last week’s rainfall led to knee-deep waterlogging on the excavated stretch, making commuting more difficult.“There are still no barricades around the deep pits which have been dug up for sewer work. The manner in which the project is being executed is shoddy, to say the least. No prior information was given by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to the residents. At least they should have given us an alternate route,” said Leena Sarkar Ali, a resident of Tata Raisina Residency.An MCG team inspected the site on Tuesday afternoon. An MCG official told HT that certain permissions required for the sewer laying work had not been obtained before the project commenced. “We are now seeking the permissions and are likely to sort it out within this week. Following which, the work will begin and will be wrapped up by July-end,” he said. The official, however, did not disclose the sanctioned cost of the project or identify the agency or contractor executing the work.Residents said the ongoing work has also disrupted school transport.“With schools reopened now, no school bus is able to come in to pick up our kids. We have to drop off and pick up our students from the main road, which is a kilometre away. This is causing trouble to working parents,” said resident Swati Sharma.Sharma said that although an earthmover had cleared part of the road, work continues at a “snail’s pace”.“They should have thought well about the project. During monsoons, it gets difficult for everyone. In between, the contractor also left the work midway. At the end, it is the residents who are suffering,” she said.Residents said the lack of barricades or warning signs around the excavation posed a safety risk during last week’s rain.“During last week’s rain, the entire stretch was submerged under knee-deep water. With no barricades or warning signs around the dug-up portions, it became impossible to tell where the deep pits were. It was extremely risky for both pedestrians and motorists, and an accident could have happened at any time,” Sharma added.Multiple attempts by HT to seek a comment from Ravinder Malik, joint commissioner, Municipal Corporation of Gurugram, did not elicit a response.Narayana Bhardwaj, ward councillor, did not respond to HT’s calls and messages.Streetlights remain defunctResidents also raised concerns over non-functional streetlights, saying the revenue road has no streetlights while several lights on the main road remain non-functional after dark.“This is almost a stretch of 1.5 kilometres. The problem is that there are several liquor shops on the main road, and with no streetlights, it instills a fear within residents and commuters, especially women,” said Raina Khan, a resident of Sector 59.“The revenue road is already dug up, and there are times when taxi and cab drivers refuse to cross it, forcing us to get down before reaching our destination. With the streetlights not functioning, walking through the stretch at night feels extremely unsafe,” Ali said.Khan said repeated complaints had not resulted in action. “We have tried to raise this issue with authorities and MCG. However, no such action has been taken by them,” she said.An MCG junior engineer said a team would inspect the revenue road. “If there are no streetlights on the revenue road, then we will try to pass a tender and get the streetlights installed as soon as possible,” he said.The main road falls under Haryana Shehari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP). An HSVP junior engineer said the streetlights had stopped functioning during last week’s rain due to a technical fault.“The streetlights are functional as per our information. However, we will get it checked again. If there is any fault, we will get it resolved,” he said.Residents flag illegal dumpingIllegal Dumping of C&D WasteResidents also alleged that illegal dumping of C&D waste along the main road and roadsides has continued for years despite repeated complaints.“It feels as though this area has become an unofficial dumping site for construction and demolition waste. While illegal dumping is a citywide problem, our sector has not been spared either,” Khan said.Residents said the accumulated debris contributes to dust pollution in addition to being an eyesore.“While there is hardly any road sweeping and cleaning of the roads, with C&D waste dumping also leading to dust pollution in the area,” Sharma said.Nitin Sood, another resident and regular commuter, said, “We have seen tractors dumping this C&D waste. Gurugram is rapidly developing, and new buildings are being constructed, but at the cost of public health and the environment.”An MCG sanitation inspector acknowledged the issue. “The tractors and dumpers come and unload mounds of C&D waste on the roadside. A lot of times we have cleared the area, but we will find a permanent solution for this soon,” he said.Responding to residents’ allegations of poor planning and safety lapses, MCG officials said they have directed the contractor to install proper barricading around the excavation pits. “We acknowledge that an alternative route was not provided. However, we will finish the work as soon as possible so that residents don’t face any further inconvenience,” an MCG official said.