Trench dug by Esencia builder raises a stink, residents angry

GURUGRAM: Just 50 metres from Ansal Esencia in Sector 67 lies a trench, dug in 2014 by the builder and now filled with sewage waste and water, posing a threat to the lives of the residents.
“Ansal API was planning to build a new apartment building called Versailles on the plot near Esencia. A 100m-long ditch was dug in 2014 for this, but due to some reasons, the plan didn’t materialise.The developer then just abandoned the site,” said Bhavesh, a resident of Esencia.
He added that every year during monsoon, the trench fills up with water and since last year, Ansal API has started dumping sewage waste in it too, making it a breeding ground for mosquitoes and insects.
“The sewage treatment plant built by the developer isn’t efficient enough to treat the waste collected from over 300 families of Esencia. So they found it expedient to dump the sewage into this ditch. Initially we didn’t realise the damage, but as days passed, our problems aggravated,” said Suprotim Banerjee, a resident.
He added that residents have informed the builder several times about the issue, that has been affecting them for the past four years, but every time they approach the builder, the trench is filled with loose soil, which gets washed away as soon as it rains.
Residents unanimously said that other than making temporary arrangements, the builder hasn’t done anything to find a permanent solution to the problem. Spread over 140 acre, Ansal Esencia has 1,043 residential units and over 300 families living there already.
Another resident Manish Vashishta said, “Every year, residents fall prey to mosquito-borne diseases. Last year, five cases of dengue and other water-borne diseases were reported from the society. What option do we have when the builder has left a plot unattended for mosquitoes to breed.”
Residents told TOI that they have sent an e-mail to the Union ministry of forest, environment and climate change (MoEF&CC) informing them about the issue and seeking their intervention.
An Ansal API spokesperson, who did not want to be named, said, “We cannot comment on the issue as we have no knowledge about the matter.” Calls to DTCP Gurgaon went unanswered.