Gurugram, Dec. 17 -- Once known as a model neighbourhood, Sector 4, one of Gurugram's oldest residential areas, is now facing deep-rooted civic neglect, residents said, citing persistent sanitation failures, missing and broken footpaths, drainage and sewage problems, dust pollution, encroachments and rising illegal parking. Residents said poor sanitation and inadequate civic infrastructure have made daily life increasingly difficult. Roads are littered with garbage, drains remain choked, sewage lines overflow during rains, and dust pollution is widespread due to poorly maintained road edges and vacant plots used for dumping. Vinod Behl, a resident of Sector 4 since the 1980s, said the sector once had wide roads, clean surroundings and well-maintained parks. "With each passing day, the situation has only deteriorated," he said. "For the administration, real estate now comes first, and development in the public interest later." Behl said sanitation workers are rarely visible on the streets. "The area has turned into a dust bowl. Pedestrians often find it difficult to walk without coughing due to excessive dust on the roads," he said. He also flagged poor supervision by civic authorities. "Lack of proper oversight by the MCG field staff is resulting in shoddy work done by contractors hired by the MCG for undertaking various civic works, causing problems which are not easily redressed." Parveen Mishra, another resident, said that although the main road was recently constructed, dust has accumulated along its sides. He added that vacant plots have become dumping grounds, with illegal garbage disposal remaining a persistent problem. "Despite several complaints to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), no action has been taken. Earlier, our sector used to be considered as a model sector in terms of sanitation. The sector has not only become an eyesore, but open garbage dumping also poses serious health risks for both residents and commuters," he said. Ward councillor Prashant Bhardwaj said Sector 4 requires nearly 138 sanitation workers, but only around 50 are currently deployed. "There has been a shortage of manpower since April. We have raised the issue with the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) several times, but the situation remains unchanged," he said. He added that delays in administrative processes worsen the problem. "Even when issues are flagged with the MCG, it takes nearly six months for the tendering process to be completed." Responding to the allegations, Narendra Bharati, site in charge at MCG, said, "There is some issue with the door-to-door collection of waste in the area, due to which some residents often throw garbage on the roads. This leads to roads being often dirty." He added, "There might be three or four queries unresolved on the CM window, but we will get that resolved too very soon." Veena Sharma, sanitation inspector at MCG, said six trucks are assigned for door-to-door waste collection in the sector. "Our workers are regularly picking up door-to-door waste," she said. Residents also raised concerns over missing and encroached footpaths. Manoj Bhardwaj, a member of the Urban Estate Residents Welfare Association, said, "Gurugram is not at all pedestrian friendly. The footpaths are either broken or missing on some main roads. While on most of them, it is encroached upon by local street vendors." He added that footpaths near Dhanwapur and market areas often do not exist at all. Parvesh Sharma, a member of the Sector 4 RWA, said narrow roads and the absence of footpaths pose safety risks, especially for senior citizens. "Walking on roads itself becomes difficult. There is virtually no provision for pedestrian safety," he said, adding that roads constructed in November lacked footpaths. Ward councillor Bhardwaj acknowledged the encroachment issue but said, "There is no space for us to build footpaths on the roads. The roads are narrow; where can I make footpaths then?" Residents also flagged long-standing drainage and sewage issues. Behl said infrastructure laid decades ago has not been upgraded despite population growth. "Internal roads get flooded as drains are choked with garbage. Even the rainwater harvesting lines are clogged with dust," he said. Mishra added that water enters homes every monsoon, calling it an annual problem with no accountability. A junior MCG official said a tender has been issued for mechanised cleaning of drainage and sewage lines, which is expected to begin by the end of the month. Illegal parking has further compounded the situation. Mishra said vehicles are parked inside internal lanes, while Manoj Bhardwaj said congestion turns short commutes into lengthy ordeals. ACP Satyapal Yadav (traffic) said challans are being issued against parking violators. "While our team is constantly issuing challans... RWAs should mark lanes in their areas and sectors for parking." "I have watched this city grow since the 1980s. What was once a beautiful sector has now fallen victim to civic neglect," Behl said....