Gurugram, Nov. 19 -- Nearly three decades since its development, Sector 23A continues to deteriorate amid civic neglect, with residents struggling with poor sanitation, sewage blockages, missing drains, broken roads, non-functional streetlights and an unchecked surge of stray cattle on the roads. "The biggest crisis in Sector 23A is sanitation," said Neeru Yadav, president of the Sector 23A East Zone resident welfare association (RWA). "Vacant plots have turned into dumping grounds, garbage lies scattered along the roads, and the Municipal Commissioner of Gurugram (MCG) sanitation staff are not regular. A sector that was once considered beautiful now reeks of waste." "The situation has worsened to the point where the RWA is forced to hire workers using its own funds to clean the area on weekends," said Sector 23A RWA president Rohit Yadav. "We cannot afford to keep doing this every week, but this is the reality our sector is facing." Residents allege that the community park adjoining the local market is also surrounded with heaps of garbage. "The park has completely turned into a dumping yard. I have even seen MCG workers disposing of waste in nearby vacant plots, yet no action has been taken," said Neeru Yadav. "Around 30 MCG workers once handled sanitation in our area, but now only 21 remain," added Rohit Yadav. "The number of active workers is far too small to manage the entire sector. We have raised this issue with the MCG multiple times," he added. Residents have also shared that locals living in Om Vihar and Carterpuri Village, come in and throw garbage in the vacant plots of the area. "While this issue has been raised multiple times with the MCG, no action has been taken yet," said Neeru Yadav. Rajesh Kumar, a resident of Om Vihar, shared, "There might be some locals doing this. But most of the locals in my knowledge are not a part of this." Ward Councillor of Om Vihar, Rakesh Yadav, called the claims of Sector 23A baseless. "Door-to-door waste collections take place regularly in Om Vihar. Then why would any resident go to throw garbage in some other area," he said. Ravinder Yadav, additional commissioner at MCG said, "Continuous monitoring is being carried out to ensure that no garbage is left unattended. Our goal is to make Gurugram cleaner and more livable through coordinated efforts with residents' associations." Residents claim that the entry to their sector is filled with broken roads and damaged pavements, leaving a poor first impression of the sector. "The 18-metre and 15-metre roads marking the entry to the sector are in the worst condition, riddled with potholes and patchwork," said Bhawani Shankar Tripathi, general secretary of the Sector 23A RWA. "The internal 10-metre roads are comparatively better, but they need attention too." "The roads were reconstructed in April, but the work was substandard," he added. "Some stretches were repaired with poor-quality material, others were filled with construction and demolition waste instead of proper bitumen, and several patches were left incomplete. The 18-metre road deteriorated barely a week into the monsoon. You cannot expect such roads to last." "Every time we raise these concerns, MCG workers and officials tell us that the tender is "in process". Now we've been told that the 18-metre road will be developed as a model road, but we have no clarity," added Rohit Yadav. "Pedestrian safety is non-existent here," said Tripathi. "Footpath issues are widespread across Gurugram, but in Sector 23A, broken or absent pavements put pedestrians at constant risk." When contacted, Naim Hussain, sub-divisional officer (SDO) at MCG, said the civic body is planning to develop model roads in the sector. "We are aware of the poor condition of roads and pavements and are consulting with our experts. Once the estimates are finalised, the tender will be issued, and we aim to complete the roadwork before the next monsoon," he stated. Residents have raised concerns over the sector's streetlights, many of which are either non-functional or flickering. "The streetlights near markets and main roads are non-functional, leaving women and children feeling unsafe after dark," shared Tripathi, adding that the streetlights frequently break down. Residents have also pointed out that rainwater drainage channels are missing in the sector, a problem that has persisted for over two years. "Despite repeated complaints, no progress has been made on laying proper rainwater channels," said Tripathi. A junior MCG official said that the civic body is facing a manpower shortage. "We try to deploy as many workers as possible each day, but the lack of staff remains a challenge," he said. "This issue has been raised with the MCG commissioner, and there are plans to increase the workforce soon."...