Gurgaon: Barely six months after a road in Sector 9A was carpeted, around 400 metres of the newly laid stretch has been dug up again to lay a stormwater drain, prompting residents to complain about poor planning and execution by the contractor and lack of monitoring by MCG.The 18-metre road, a key access route for the sector, was excavated along the centre a couple of days ago, residents said. Residents claimed that water pipelines supplying households were damaged during the excavation, and loose soil and debris were left along the stretch.Lalit Suraj Bhola, general secretary of the Sector 9A RWA, said the work reflected inadequate planning and supervision. “A stormwater drain being laid through the centre of a road is a clear example of poor planning and lack of supervision. The contractor should not be digging up the entire road. Excavation should have been limited to the portions actually required, with utilities shifted wherever they came in the way. The drain should have been planned along the side of the road, not the middle, as water naturally slopes towards the edges,” he said.An MCG official said the drain was being constructed as close to the roadside as feasible, but the high water table in the area was limiting the excavation. “The water table is very high there. When we excavate 10-12 feet, water starts emerging and the soil on the sides begins to slide. Going further towards the roadside could also pose a risk to the existing water lines and nearby properties,” he said.The official said the drain requires sufficient excavation width to install pipelines safely and allow workers to position them. “We have to ensure minimum damage and take precautions during excavation. The alignment has been kept as far towards the side as possible within the available space,” he said.
