Gurgaon: Demolition drives by Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) to clear encroachments and reclaim right of way (ROW) in some of the city’s upscale residential colonies have left behind another civic hazard — heaps of debris. In South City-1, waste from a drive in May still lies along internal roads nearly four months later, raising concerns over dust just as the winter pollution season approaches.Residents said the lingering rubble points to a lack of coordination between DTCP and MCG. They questioned who is responsible for clearing it, despite SOPs mandating timely removal of construction and demolition (C&D) waste. The situation is particularly difficult in neighbourhoods where road sweeping is already inadequate, they said.The debris also raises questions about the implementation of MCG’s recently submitted SOPs for C&D waste management before Punjab and Haryana high court. Under the SOPs, waste generated during ROW repair and restoration work must be removed within 48 hours of completion at the location. For road repair works, including pothole repairs, resurfacing, pavement repairs and road restoration, the deadline is 72 hours.“In Delhi, demolition of unauthorised constructions or encroachments is carried out by the executive engineer concerned, and removal of the debris is undertaken simultaneously by the same authority. Clearing the debris is part of the process. In Gurgaon, however, DTCP carries out demolition drives, but there appears to be no corresponding mechanism to ensure that the debris is removed immediately, and in some cases even MCG is not aware of the exercise,” said Sunil Mittal, a retired superintendent engineer with MCD and a resident of South City-1.“Residents should not be made to suffer because of a lack of coordination between govt agencies. There should be a single mandate, similar to Delhi, under which debris is removed simultaneously, either by the agency carrying out the demolition or by the MCG,” he added.Another South City-1 resident, Amit Gupta, said the prolonged presence of debris had turned a civic enforcement exercise into a public nuisance. “The debris is an eyesore as well as a health concern, particularly with winter pollution approaching. There is hardly any road sweeping here either. This is a clear civic failure,” he said.In Sushant Lok-1, DTCP notices issued ahead of the resumption of the demolition drive have taken the story in a different direction. Instead of waiting for their ramps to be demolished, several residents have begun modifying them.On Wednesday, work was underway at several houses to reduce the length and width of ramps extending into the ROW. Drains were being cleaned and additional drain inlets installed across the shortened ramps. Residents said the aim is to reclaim part of the ROW while letting rainwater enter the stormwater network at multiple points, rather than being blocked by long, concretised ramps. All this is being done without demolishing the ramps completely.Pawan Sharma, who was supervising drain work outside a neighbour’s house, said residents were trying to find a practical solution that addressed both the ROW and drainage concerns. “It is not feasible for residents to remove every ramp completely. So we have reduced the length of the ramps and provided additional drain inlets across them. The objective is to address both issues rather than simply demolish the ramps,” Sharma said.Raj Bhagwat, a resident of A Block, said residents had collectively taken up the work. “We hired a contractor and asked residents to contribute individually towards reducing the length of the ramps and installing additional drain inlets. This way, the ramps are modified without completely destroying them, while the drainage issue and right of way are also addressed,” he said.Debris remains a concern here too. Yash Pal, whose neighbour’s ramp was razed, added: “Once demolition is carried out, the debris should also be cleared. It should be the responsibility of either the residents or the concerned govt agency. Leaving it on the road only blocks a significant part of the passage and creates another problem.”“Demolition of illegal encroachments may be necessary, but the debris should be cleared immediately. At present, the rubble is lying on the roads in C and C1 blocks of Sushant Lok 1, creating another source of dust pollution and even adding to traffic congestion. Earlier, illegal encroachments were causing jams; now the debris left after their removal is creating the same problem. The authorities need to ensure that clearing the debris is part of the demolition exercise itself. Otherwise, one problem is being solved only to create another. With winter approaching, the dust from the rubble could further aggravate respiratory problems for residents,” said Deepak Verma, RWA president, Sushant Lok 1.
