GURUGRAM: Even as the Swachhta Abhiyan in the city is underway, new sectors between 58 and 115 are struggling in the absence of a garbage disposal mechanism.
The new sectors are currently in no man's land as HUDA's job is restricted till developing the arterial sector roads and the MCG does not hold any responsibility as these sectors fall 'outside the municipal limit' - even though the residents living in these areas are paying their property taxes.
"The garbage disposal is done by the developers or appointed maintenance agencies at the society level. However, outside the societies, no one holds the responsibility of picking or treating the garbage. Consequently, it ends up on empty plots causing eye sores and insect breeding grounds," said Arvind Kumar, resident Taksila Heights, sector 37 c.
He added that many empty plots in the sectors along Dwarka Expressway end up becoming dumping grounds. In a lot of the sectors, following the resident complaints, agencies burn the waste causing air pollution.
"They have built a concrete pit in one part of the sector and they call it a compost pit which it is not. Most of the times, the garbage is thrown in the empty plots or burnt if we complain," said Varsha Sharma, who lives in NCR One, sector 95.
She added that consequently there is garbage everywhere and that there is no point of taking the garbage out of home and throwing it in open spaces. The stink form the garbage heap is persistent throughout the year and the dust particles add to the pollution levels making life difficult for kids, elderly and asthma patients.
"The garbage is anyway left out in the open and even the sewage waste can be seen in empty and vacant plots throughout the new sectors," said Agam Kumar, who lives in GPL society, sector 70.
HUDA officials when approached for a comment on the matter said that their job is restricted to developing the arterial roads in the sectors and sanitation remains with the corporation.
MCG commissioner V Umashankar said, "The news sectors after sector 58 do not come within the Gurugram municipal limits and hence the corporation does not hold the responsibility." The residents, however, argue that why they are paying the property taxes to the corporation if they do not have access to any of the MCG services.
"There is absolutely no mechanism for garbage disposal in these parts. We had raised the issue sometime back and HUDA and MCG passed the buck onto each other. However, since we pay property taxes, we are entitled to the basic services such as sanitation," said Himanshu Mainrai, a resident sector 69.
