Choked pipes have been a concern for the past few months, says Belvedere Park Manager Ram Kumar Gupta. “Man holes in and around the colony have been overflowing,” he adds. Belvedere Park Condominium Association (BPCA), the resident welfare association, has so far kept sewage out with the aid of two portable pumps. “We’ve been pumping out sewage every day for the last month,” said Gupta.

But, unsurprisingly, residents are not happy about managing their own sewage. “It’s very expensive and environmentally unfriendly to use diesel motors to shift this sewage,” says resident Shireen Shankar. “And it’s not our responsibility,” she adds.

The BPCA says the problem stems from road construction work being carried out outside the colony by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA). Three letters sent to HUDA, urging immediate action, remain unanswered.

Indira Unninayar, one of the first residents to move into the colony in 2003, says the permanent open drain on the other side of the colony has not helped matters. “The drain should be covered,” says Unninayar, adding that, “At present, people throw their trash into it, causing further blockages.”

“It’s a real health hazard — mosquitoes breed in the stagnant water,” says resident Bhavna Rastogi. “And it’s only a matter of time before the waste finds its way inside our complex,” she adds.

According to real estate developer DLF, Belvedere Park’s sewage pipes are not connected to the main sewage system. “This is why there is a backflow,” says DLF spokesperson Shalini Wadhwa. “HUDA should have shifted the sewer line to the green belt before they began construction,” she adds.

S K Gupta, executive engineer at HUDA, says construction of the road outside Belvedere Park will take another 15 days. “We will look into the matter,” he said.