Gurugram, Feb. 25 -- Poor sanitation, broken roads, missing footpaths and recurring sewage overflow have emerged as major civic concerns in Gurugram's Sector 45, with residents alleging prolonged neglect and inadequate municipal services despite the area's status as a prime residential hub. Developed in the late 1990s and known for its metro connectivity and proximity to leading schools and colleges, the sector is now grappling with deteriorating infrastructure, residents and resident welfare association members said. "I moved to Gurugram in 1996 and have witnessed the city transform with towering high-rises and rapid urban expansion. However, our sector has seen absolutely no improvement in maintenance. While the population has steadily increased, civic amenities and infrastructure have only deteriorated," said Om Prakash Yadav, RWA president of Sector 45. Residents said poor sanitation remains the most pressing issue, with door-to-door waste collection by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram not operational in the locality. "We have engaged a private contractor for the entire sector, with each household paying Rs.60 for daily garbage collection. Although the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram has rolled out door-to-door waste collection services across the city, our area has yet to receive any such facility," said Ashwani Dabara, a resident. To be sure, the municipal corporation reassigned door-to-door garbage collection contracts in January for six months, dividing the city into four zones. Officials said residents are not required to pay any user fee under the revised arrangement. Residents also alleged inadequate and irregular deployment of road sweeping staff. "Only 10 to 12 workers turn up to sweep the roads in our sector. For an area as large as ours, this strength is simply insufficient. Moreover, their attendance is highly irregular, which is why the roads remain dusty and strewn with litter," said Yadav. They flagged three major illegal dumping hotspots near the sector market, the community centre and an open patch within residential blocks. "People dump waste indiscriminately in these spots, and since monitoring is weak, the garbage piles up quickly, attracting stray animals and worsening the sanitation problem," said Dabara. Ward councillor Aarti Yadav did not respond to HT despite repeated calls and messages. Devendra Bishnoi, senior sanitary inspector at the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram, said the corporation would investigate why door-to-door collection was not taking place. He added that pending salaries of sweeping staff had been released, and they had resumed duty. "The situation has improved, and we expect regular sweeping to continue, ensuring cleaner roads in the sector," Bishnoi said. Residents also raised concerns over poor-quality road repairs. "Our main road was recarpeted just before last winter, and it's already showing signs of deterioration. We have even seen workers filling potholes with mud. How can the roads ever be proper if this is the way the corporation is handling repairs?" said Yadav. He added that residents had asked the corporation to halt ongoing repair work on 10 metre wide roads after noticing substandard materials being used. A junior official at the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram said the work had been halted after the contractor failed to meet quality standards. "We asked the contractor to stop work as they were using substandard materials for the road revamp. The work has been suspended for now and will resume only after proper monitoring and inspection to ensure quality," he said. Sandeep Sihag, executive engineer at the MCG, said the contractor has been issued a formal notice. "We have instructed them to use proper materials for relaying the roads. If the work is not carried out to the required standards, we will not hesitate to impose penalties," he added. Residents said broken or missing footpaths pose risks to pedestrians. "Most of the pavements are either broken or completely missing. People, including children and senior citizens, are forced to walk on the roads alongside speeding vehicles," said Puneet Pahwa, general secretary of Sector 45 RWA. He added that encroachment by vendors and monsoon waterlogging worsen the situation. A junior official said the tender for constructing footpaths on 18 metre wide roads has been approved and work is scheduled to begin in March. Residents also complained of sewage overflow and blocked drains. "The problem isn't just during rainfall-sewage regularly backs up onto the streets, especially near house number 1008. The stench is unbearable, and it's a serious health hazard for families living nearby," said SP Bansal. Meanwhile, Dabara said complaints had been made repeatedly but the problem persisted. Residents acknowledged that desilting work is underway and expressed hope for improvement before the monsoon....