GURGAON: Punjab and Haryana high court has asked urban local bodies department and MCG to frame a universal SOP with fixed timelines for clearing debris left behind after civic work. The order came after the petitioner’s counsel argued that “every time, a resident cannot be expected to approach the court” to get a road cleared.The petition was filed by city resident and lawyer Pankaj Yadav, who alleged that a road outside his Sector 22 house was left covered with excavated earth, mud and debris after MCG undertook work to lay a water pipeline.The order by Justice Pankaj Jain sought to address a recurring civic problem. Across the city, residents are often forced to negotiate dust, slush, uneven surfaces and narrowed roads after stretches are dug up for pipelines, sewers or other public projects, with debris left behind for days or weeks. The court specifically asked authorities to prescribe how quickly such material must be removed.Yadav told the court that pipeline work outside his house began on June 17. Despite multiple requests to MCG, he alleged, the road was not cleared. Heavy rain on July 21 turned the excavated stretch into a muddy mess, making it slippery and hazardous for pedestrians, children, senior citizens and motorists.The debris was eventually removed after Yadav approached the court. His counsel, however, pointed to the larger problem. “Every time, a resident cannot be expected to approach the court,” he said.The court described the request as fair and directed the authorities to propose an SOP specifying timelines for removal of accumulated debris.“Finding it to be a fair request, respondents are directed to propose an SOP specifying the timelines in which the municipal corporation shall remove the accumulated debris, if so found within the municipal areas of Gurgaon in future so that residents do not suffer due to works undertaken by municipal/state authorities,” the order on Aug 13 read.The direction comes against the backdrop of the city’s long-running struggle with construction and demolition (C&D) waste. Debris is frequently found along roads and vacant plots, with Gurgaon-Faridabad Road, Sector 29, Golf Course Road Extension and Southern Peripheral Road among the hotspots.The city generates nearly 1,500 tonnes of C&D waste daily. The Basai facility currently processes around 1,200 tonnes, leaving a gap of roughly 300 tonnes a day requiring disposal or alternative handling. The waste often ends up on roadsides, vacant plots and other open spaces.The problem goes beyond aesthetics. Debris adds to dust pollution, obstructs traffic and can clog drains, worsening waterlogging during rain. A 250-metre road in Sushant Lok-1, for instance, remained damaged for months after MCG dug it up for a sewer line, with exposed debris and missing manhole covers making it difficult to use.After the Aug 13 order, MCG sought time to frame the SOP. The matter was adjourned to Aug 31.
