Gurugram, July 19 -- Residents of New Palam Vihar have alleged that private septic tankers are illegally dumping untreated sewage into a stormwater drain along the Dwarka Expressway every day after creating an unauthorised access point by damaging a section of the drain near the Sector 110 entry. According to residents, dozens of tankers arrive throughout the day and empty untreated sewage directly into the drain instead of transporting it to authorised sewage treatment plants (STPs), allegedly to avoid paying treatment charges. Residents demanded that the vehicles be seized, operators booked, and environmental compensation imposed on those found responsible. Bharat Nain, a resident, alleged that tanker operators damaged a portion of the stormwater drain slab to facilitate the dumping. "These tanker drivers earlier broke a portion of the stormwater drain slab to ensure they could dispose of the untreated water there. These tankers usually come from the internal areas of New Palam Vihar. Even after repeated requests to the drivers, they continue to dump STP water here," he said. The issue is not new; in 2020, residents complained of hundreds of septic tankers dumping untreated sewage into a drain near Sector 111, prompting National Green Tribunal intervention, and similar complaints surfaced again in 2023. Illegal disposal violates the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and the Centre's National Policy on Faecal Sludge and Septage Management, which mandates transport only to designated facilities. Meanwhile, another resident, advocate Seema Nain said, "These drains are meant for rainwater harvesting. If dirty water is released into them and then it is used further in another place, it puts serious environmental and health risks for the residents." When contacted, Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) subdivisional officer Vishal Shokeen said the board had not received a complaint and said that if tankers come from residential areas, it is the municipal body's responsibility. Meanwhile, GMDA spokesperson Neha Sharma said, "GMDA does not have the authority to fine these tank operators. It can only be done by the pollution board." HT reached out to GMDA and HSVP to determine drain ownership, but both shifted the responsibility to each other. Earlier this year, the Union government pulled up MCG over untreated sewage entering drains linked to the Yamuna and ordered audits....