New Gurugram residents protest sewage charges and demand waivers

Residents of New Gurugram are protesting against sewage charges imposed by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). They argue that they should not have to pay for sewage services when there is no functional sewage network in their area. People living in sectors 77-99 have sent a letter to the GMDA asking for a waiver of these charges. They are also asking for adjustments of the payments they made in the past to be reflected in their future water bills. The residents say they started being charged for sewage services when their water connections were activated, but there is no working sewage infrastructure. Praveen Malik, a member of the local residents' association, expressed frustration. He noted that they paid External Development Charges (EDC) and Infrastructure Development Charges (IDC) long ago to support sewage and drainage systems, but those systems are still not complete. Residents are also regularly paying property taxes, which adds to their dissatisfaction. Without a proper sewage system, many communities have to hire private tankers to manage their wastewater. This has further strained their finances. If the situation does not improve, residents are considering legal action to recover their payments. Naresh Kumar, the president of a residents' association, said that the lack of infrastructure is troubling and leads to environmental issues like pollution. He emphasized that the sewage charges should be stopped and previous payments should be refunded. Residents have urged the GMDA to act quickly. They want the sewage charges waived, adjustments made to their bills, and the sewage infrastructure completed promptly. Despite previous complaints, they feel their concerns have not been addressed. Rajesh Bansal, the Chief Engineer for GMDA, defended the charges as part of their policy. He mentioned that developers could get a rebate if they set up their own sewage treatment plant and meet specific conditions. However, residents say they need immediate action regarding their situation.