Gurgaon civic bodies told to set deadlines for clearing debris after roadwork

The road outside Pankaj Yadav’s Sector 22 home became a muddy, slippery stretch after rain on July 21, while earth and debris from water-pipeline work remained uncleared.

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the Urban Local Bodies Department and Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to propose a universal SOP that sets deadlines for clearing material left behind after civic projects. Justice Pankaj Jain issued the direction on August 13 after Yadav’s petition said repeated requests to MCG had not cleared the road.

Yadav told the court that the pipeline work began on June 17. The debris was removed after he approached the court, but his counsel argued that residents should not have to seek court intervention each time a civic agency leaves a road obstructed.

The court asked authorities to specify how quickly accumulated debris must be removed in municipal areas so residents do not suffer because of work by municipal or state agencies. MCG sought time to prepare the SOP; the case is listed for August 31.