Gurgaon: “The situation is getting worse day by day,” says Vikas Kumar, a commuter, as entrance to one of the city’s industrial hubs has turned into a stinking pool of sewage.For nearly three weeks, sewage has been overflowing in Udyog Vihar-1 and accumulating along the Sirhaul-Kapashera Road near Delhi-Gurgaon border, forcing motorists to splash through dirty water and pedestrians to carefully pick their way around the flooded road at the Kapashera border. “This is the entrance to a major industrial area, yet no one can enter without covering their nose,” Surya Vihar RWA president Rajesh Gera told TOI.The situation worsened sharply on Monday, when wastewater began gushing out of a sewer chamber, spreading across the road and making the already difficult commute even more harrowing. “The foul smell is unbearable. The sewage has been overflowing for around three weeks. Water has been gushing out of the sewer chambers. We have to constantly watch our steps to avoid walking through the dirty water,” Vikas told TOI.The stretch is a busy gateway between Delhi and Udyog Vihar and sees heavy movement of office-goers, industrial workers, buses, autorickshaws and other vehicles throughout the day. With a bus stand located near the border, pedestrians and public transport users have been among the worst affected. Many were seen dodging pools of dirty water, while passing vehicles sent splashes onto the roadside.Gera added, “For the last three weeks, we have been witnessing the mess, but it has not come to the notice of our civic agencies. During the peak, the waterlogged stretch exacerbates the traffic situation as the vehicles slow to avoid pools of dirty water. This is not only civic apathy but a public health hazard as thousands are crossing the stretch on foot. Moreover, industries are also disposing of their industrial waste into the drain. We have raised the issue with concerned agencies but no permanent solution.”The problem is compounded by the topography of the area. The Kapashera border is at a relatively lower elevation than the adjoining road of Udyog Vihar, causing wastewater from the industrial area to naturally flow towards the border and accumulate there. Another factor contributing to the problem is the discharge of industrial effluent into the surface drain along Udyog Vihar Road. However, the drain lacks proper onward connectivity at the border, leaving the wastewater with no clear outlet. As a result, it spills onto the carriageway and remains accumulated on the road.Motorists said navigating the stretch has become particularly difficult, as vehicles are forced to slow down or manoeuvre around the waterlogged portions. Two-wheelers face an even greater challenge, while pedestrians risk being splashed with contaminated water every time a vehicle passes through the inundated stretch.An HSIIDC official attributed the problem to the blockage in GMDA’s master sewer network along Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road. According to the official, the obstruction has affected the onward flow of sewage, causing wastewater to back up into the sewer network serving Udyog Vihar and eventually overflow from chambers. “There is a blockage in the master sewer line network on Old Delhi-Gurgaon Road. Since the sewage is not getting a free passage downstream, it is backing up into the Udyog Vihar network and overflowing. We have taken up the matter with GMDA so that the problem can be identified and resolved,” the official told TOI.GMDA officials, however, maintained that there has been no blockage in the master sewer network. They said teams from the two agencies would carry out a joint inspection on Tuesday to determine the exact cause of the overflow. A GMDA official said, “As of now, there is no blockage in GMDA’s master sewer line network. However, since sewage is overflowing in the area, a joint visit with the HSIIDC team will be conducted on Tuesday. The network and the affected locations will be inspected to ascertain the actual cause, following which the necessary remedial measures will be undertaken.”
