Sanitation crisis grips Sector 37, Gurugram; residents raise health concerns
The lifeline road that connects the societies to the Dwarka Expressway -- used especially when waterlogging blocks the main entry—is now itself submerged in wastewater.
The promise of Gurugram – the Millennium City of glittering glass towers and sweeping expressways – comes to a jarring halt in Sector 37. Here, the air is thick with the stench of rotting waste, drains overflow into the streets, and pavements collapse beneath the weight of neglect. What was once a clean, well-maintained stretch linking Esplanade to the Dwarka Expressway has decayed into a corridor of filth.
On this road, garbage piles spill over the pedestrian walkway, plastic bags tangle in the weeds, and pools of stagnant water glimmer under the August sun -- a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. The monsoon has made it worse, washing heaps of trash into open drains and turning pathways into slippery hazards.
“It used to be well-kept, safe for walks. Now, it feels like we are living inside a garbage dump,” said Anita Jha, a resident of Sector 37D, pointing to a pile of refuse that had not been lifted for weeks.
A daily ordeal
For thousands who live in the cluster of residential societies around Sectors 37C and 37D, the filth is not just an eyesore but a daily ordeal. The lifeline road that connects the societies to the Dwarka Expressway -- used especially when waterlogging blocks the main entry—is now itself submerged in wastewater.
“Every monsoon it’s the same,” said Vikas Bansal of Taksila Apartments. “Children fall ill, elders stay indoors, and commuting turns into an obstacle course. We pay taxes only to wade through sewage.”
{{/usCountry}}“Every monsoon it’s the same,” said Vikas Bansal of Taksila Apartments. “Children fall ill, elders stay indoors, and commuting turns into an obstacle course. We pay taxes only to wade through sewage.”
{{/usCountry}}The frustration has only deepened with time. Rinky Singh, president of the Imperia Esfera RWA, called the mess “systemic failure.” “Continuous dumping of waste has made the area intolerable. We demand strict enforcement against illegal dumping and regular collection. Otherwise, this place will spiral out of control,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}The frustration has only deepened with time. Rinky Singh, president of the Imperia Esfera RWA, called the mess “systemic failure.” “Continuous dumping of waste has made the area intolerable. We demand strict enforcement against illegal dumping and regular collection. Otherwise, this place will spiral out of control,” she said.
{{/usCountry}}For women residents, safety is an added risk. “Walking after dark is risky -- no lights, heaps of garbage, stray animals everywhere,” said Poonam Singh of Sector 37C.
{{/usCountry}}For women residents, safety is an added risk. “Walking after dark is risky -- no lights, heaps of garbage, stray animals everywhere,” said Poonam Singh of Sector 37C.
{{/usCountry}}Caught in the mess
{{/usCountry}}Caught in the mess
{{/usCountry}}The rot does not plague only residents. Daily commuters passing through describe the road as a hazard for outsiders too. “Garbage scattered all over, slippery stretches during rains -- it’s a disaster waiting to happen,” said Pradeep Yadav, who drives from Sector 10 to Manesar.
{{/usCountry}}The rot does not plague only residents. Daily commuters passing through describe the road as a hazard for outsiders too. “Garbage scattered all over, slippery stretches during rains -- it’s a disaster waiting to happen,” said Pradeep Yadav, who drives from Sector 10 to Manesar.
{{/usCountry}}Shopkeepers along the Esplanade stretch say the trash has driven customers away. “Who wants to buy groceries with sewage water at the doorstep? The smell alone is enough to make people cross the road,” said Sunil Sharma, who runs a kirana shop in the area.
Stung by mounting complaints, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) says it has launched a cleaning drive. Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya told HT: “We have assigned officials to clear the stretch at the earliest. Regular inspections are underway, and action will be taken against illegal dumping.”
But for locals, the assurances ring hollow.
“Every time we raise this, they send workers for a week. Then it’s back to the same,” said Ravi Arora of Sector 37D. “What we need is a permanent system -- not token clean-ups.”
A citywide crisis
Urban planners warn that Sector 37 is not an isolated case but a symptom of Gurugram’s deeper civic breakdown. The Bandhwari landfill, already overflowing, forces much of the city’s garbage onto vacant plots and roadsides. Neighbourhoods from Sectors 22 to 46 have raised similar alarms.
“Solid waste management has collapsed,” said Rakesh Gupta, a local resident and civic activist. “Unless penalties for dumping are enforced and investments made in scientific processing, more areas will look like this.”
Residents demand accountability
In recent meetings with RWAs, residents have demanded cameras at chronic dumping spots, fines for violators, and door-to-door waste collection with real-time monitoring. Some are pushing for more sanitation staff and better drainage systems.
“Sanitation is not a seasonal campaign. It’s a daily responsibility,” said Meenakshi Verma of Sector 37D. “If Gurugram wants to call itself a Millennium City, it should stop looking like a garbage city.”
The road ahead
The irony is hard to miss. Just a short drive from Sector 37’s decaying streets rise gleaming towers of Fortune 500 companies, their glass façades promising global ambition. Yet, on the ground, the basics -- waste disposal, drainage, pavements -- remain broken.
For now, the waste piles grow higher, the drains choke deeper, and the stench hangs heavy over the neighbourhood. With monsoon rains still lashing the city, residents brace for a surge in dengue and chikungunya cases.
The crisis in Sector 37 is more than a local grievance. It is a reminder that behind Gurugram’s skyscrapers and gated societies lies an older, unresolved question: can a city that promises world-class business also deliver the simple dignity of clean streets?
Until that is answered, Sector 37 will remain a cautionary tale of Gurugram’s urban dream -- glittering skylines shadowed by piles of filth.
