In a stringent move to tackle persistent sewer overflows, the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has announced a new financial penalty system targeting negligent contractors and officials. The directive, issued on Wednesday, states that no payments will be made for repeat sewer cleaning necessitated by contractor negligence, with the full cost to be recovered from the responsible parties.
Directive Targets Root Cause of Blockages
The order, issued by Additional Commissioner Yash Jaluka, comes as a direct response to a recurring problem. Officials noted that temporary blockages installed to halt sewage flow during essential desilting operations were frequently left in place after work concluded. This oversight led to severely clogged sewer lines, causing overflows and significant distress for local residents. The civic body was then forced to spend public funds on repeated cleaning operations to rectify the same issue.
Financial Recovery and Accountability Measures
Under the new rules, the mechanism for accountability is clear and strict. If a contractor fails to remove a temporary blockage after desilting work, the entire expense for clearing the obstructed sewer line will be recovered from that contractor. Crucially, the corporation will not process any separate bills for this corrective work, as it stems directly from the contractor's own negligence.
The order extends responsibility up the supervisory chain. Executive engineers have been made personally accountable for ensuring that temporary blockages are removed promptly post-work. In a significant warning, the directive states that if bills for repeat cleaning are cleared despite contractor negligence, the incurred expenditure will be recovered from the concerned executive engineer.
Official Stance on Systemic Improvement
MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya emphasized that while sewer desilting is a critical activity for strengthening the city's drainage infrastructure, residents should not have to suffer due to poor execution and oversight. This policy shift aims to enforce discipline and quality control in public works, ensuring that contractors and civic officials are more diligent in completing assigned tasks thoroughly.
The move is expected to reduce the frequency of sewer-related civic issues in Gurgaon and ensure that public money is not wasted on rectifying errors that are entirely preventable. It marks a shift towards greater accountability in the city's urban maintenance contracts.
