Gurugram, May 13 -- Developed as one of Gurugram's key residential sectors in the 1990s, Sector 40 is grappling with worsening civic infrastructure, with residents alleging that years of complaints to authorities have failed to yield meaningful action. Residents said the sector continues to face multiple civic issues, including defunct rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems, waterlogging risks, poor sanitation, damaged roads, sewer overflows, delays in construction of a water boosting station and deteriorating market infrastructure. Ahead of the monsoon season, residents raised concerns over waterlogging, claiming that drainage infrastructure remains poorly maintained and most RWH systems in the sector have been non-functional for years. Abhimanyu Yadav, residents' welfare association (RWA) president of Sector 40, said around 10 RWH systems installed in parks and community centres are clogged due to lack of maintenance. "There are around 10 RWH systems that were installed in parks and community centres, and all of them are clogged and choked," he said. "The RWH systems have not been cleaned in our sector for the past 15 years." Virender Singh, joint secretary of the Sector 40 RWA, said repair work initiated last year remained incomplete. "For effective rainwater harvesting, the pits need to be around 200 feet deep, but the systems are still not functional," he said. Residents also alleged that drain desilting work has either not been carried out properly or remains incomplete. "Even light rainfall leads to waterlogging in the sector, so during monsoon it will be chaos. Unless the RWH systems and drainage infrastructure are not maintained, the sector will continue to face waterlogging," Yadav added. Ward councillor Pawan Kumar said cleaning of RWH systems has begun and will be completed before the monsoon. "Pre-monsoon preparations are underway in the sector. Two new drains will also be constructed to improve water drainage and ensure better disposal of rainwater," he said. Residents also flagged sanitation issues, alleging that irregular road sweeping has led to the accumulation of dust and garbage across internal roads, green belts and the sector market. "It is not just an eyesore but also a public health issue," said resident Maitali Verma. Yadav alleged that despite deployment of 21 sanitation workers in the sector, only seven or eight regularly reported for duty. "This has been brought up multiple times with the ward councillor and MCG; however, no action was taken," he said. Residents further said the ongoing protest by sanitation workers has worsened conditions. "Not just Sector 40, the entire Gurugram is affected due to this. No viable alternative arrangements have been made so far. If the protest continues for a month, are we expected to live with such deteriorating sanitation conditions?" Singh said. Ravinder Yadav said improved sanitation outcomes are expected after the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram floated a new Rs.440-crore tender for manual and mechanised road sweeping. "The proposal has been approved and the tender has been floated. This time, we will clearly specify the total manpower required so that no area is left unattended," he said. Residents also said construction of a water boosting station in the sector has been delayed as land earmarked for the facility remains partially occupied by Haryana Shehari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP). "Last year, we met Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, following which an order was issued to HSVP to clear the encroached area. However, despite that directive, the land has still not been vacated," Yadav said. Singh said the sector currently depends on water supply from Sector 39, resulting in periodic disruptions. A junior HSVP official said three quarters of the site had already been removed and the remaining structure would be cleared within a week. Residents also raised concerns over deteriorating internal roads, alleging that stretches repaired around six months ago have already worn off. "First, the repairs of the roads took a long time to begin, and then the quality of the work is highly questionable. Several stretches have already worn off within months," Verma said. Residents said broken roads generate excessive dust, and frequent sewer leakages continue to spill sewage onto public spaces. "It not only leads to a persistent foul stench but also creates highly unhygienic conditions in the area. Some of the leakages have not even been repaired for the past three months," Verma added. In response, a junior MCG official said the uneven patches would be repaired and a team would be deployed to inspect the quality of the road. "Further action will be taken based on the inspection findings," he said, requesting anonymity. Residents further flagged deteriorating infrastructure in the sector market, including damaged roads, lack of organised parking and poorly maintained public toilets. "It is a nightmare for the sector's shopkeepers, who are working every day from morning to night, to use them," Singh said. MCG chief engineer Vijay Dhaka said a market revamp project has been approved. "Revamp of the markets will be done, and the tender has already been approved. The aim is to upgrade facilities and ease congestion in the market areas," he said....