5 Key Takeaways
- EWS housing blocks in gated societies suffer from severe neglect, including poor sanitation, broken lifts, and lack of security, contrasting sharply with the main towers.
- RWAs justify unequal services by citing lack of maintenance fees from EWS residents, while residents argue they are punished for poverty despite paying rent.
- Physical segregation, such as iron fences in Dwarka Greens, limits EWS residents' access to common spaces and parks, reinforcing social discrimination.
- EWS residents are denied voting rights in society elections, with some filing complaints over being excluded from decision-making processes.
- The failure of inclusive housing policies to enforce maintenance responsibilities and non-discriminatory access leaves EWS residents without basic rights and dignity.
Behind the Glossy Facades: How EWS Residents in NCR's Gated Societies Face Daily Discrimination
The entry gate of Emaar Palm Gardens in Sector 83, Gurugram, is heavily guarded. CCTV cameras watch every corner. Inside, towering buildings cast long shadows over spotless internal roads. But a sharp contrast lies within the same address—another building that carries the same elite name tells a completely different story.
"Palm Garden RWA haye haye, Palm Garden RWA haye haye," residents of the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) block shouted a few weeks ago as they marched to the society's main gate, demanding basic services. They accused the Residents Welfare Association (RWA) of neglecting sanitation work, ignoring repeated complaints, and treating EWS residents differently from those living in the main towers.
A narrow black gate hangs permanently open. No guards or cameras are in sight. The smell of garbage hits before the building's staircase comes into view. Paint peels off the walls in thick patches. A lift in one of the towers groans its way up but often refuses to come back down. This is the EWS housing block of Emaar Palm Gardens.
Mandatory Inclusion, Unequal Reality
According to the Haryana government's affordable housing and urban development policies, residential housing projects must reserve a portion of units for the EWS category. Around 15% of total housing units in many licensed group housing projects are required to be allocated for EWS residents. These units may be constructed within the main premises, in separate towers, or sometimes slightly away from the primary residential blocks, depending on the approved layout plan.
But in practice, the divide is stark. The main towers stand tall and polished with every facility, while EWS blocks struggle with broken floors, malfunctioning lifts, and damaged boundary walls.
Sanitation, Security, and Stigma
Residents across multiple societies in Delhi-NCR describe feeling invisible within the very complexes that were promised as part of "inclusive housing." Garbage lies in the colony all the time. There are no sanitation workers. Stray dogs tear open the garbage bags. The place stinks most of the time.
"If this happened in the main towers, it would be cleaned within hours," added Rajkumari.
Thirty-one-year-old Najma Khatoon holds her five-year-old son as she walks past a broken wall in front of her flat at Emaar Palm Gardens. She points toward a wall with a large hole and a lift that mostly malfunctions. The lift often goes up and gets stuck for several minutes. The issue has been raised multiple times before the RWA, but no permanent solution has been provided.
"The building is full of problems, and the only concern of the authorities is that we are tenants, not owners. We are afraid to send our children outside, even during the daytime. Anyone can enter the premises because there is no gate or CCTV camera for safety," said Khatoon.
She moved from a slum cluster near Sapphire Mall, Sector 83, two years ago, hoping to provide her son with a safer environment. Instead, she says challenges increased. "We are paying around Rs 7,000 as rent. It's higher than what we used to pay in the slums, but now we live without electricity for hours and face constant water shortages."
The RWA's Perspective
The RWA of Emaar Palm Gardens does not currently charge any maintenance fee from EWS residents, and therefore no power backup facility is provided to them.
"It is not possible to provide every facility without maintenance fees because the government does not pay for these services. We even maintain the lifts using RWA funds," said Sunil Sharma, president of Emaar Palm Gardens. He added that the RWA is considering charging a minimal amount in the future.
Sharma said sanitation problems had affected the entire society because of a shortage of workers—many sanitation workers had travelled back to their hometowns during the Bengal elections. But EWS residents deny this claim. They say sanitation and lift maintenance issues have increased over the past six months, and no action has been taken despite repeated complaints.
A Wall of Separation
Dwarka Greens housing society in Pocket 5 of Sector 14 has been witnessing a dispute for two years over an iron fence separating EWS flats from Lower and Middle Income Group (LIG and MIG) flats. On 26 April 2024, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) constructed the fence to control parking space conflicts.
When labourers began building the fence, EWS residents gathered to oppose it. They claimed it promoted social segregation and restricted their access to parks, common spaces, and parking.
The matter soon went to the Dwarka District Court. The unfinished fencing remains in place.
Denied Voting Rights
In Sector 86 of Faridabad, EWS residents of Ozone Park have filed a complaint with the Registrar Office. More than 150 residents submitted a joint complaint alleging that EWS residents were being denied voting rights in society elections. According to the Haryana Apartment Ownership Act, 2012, legal apartment owners generally have the right to participate in society elections.
"The RWA does not even consider us a part of society. We don't even know when elections are announced or conducted because they never inform us about anything," said a complainant.
Residents also demanded a separate EWS RWA if voting rights were not granted. Most of the residents belong to Scheduled Caste and OBC communities, and they allege that despite multiple complaints, no inquiry has been initiated.
"Another Kind of Slum"
A 34-year-old man who has lived in Janta Flat Pocket 7, Sector 82, Noida, for 11 years summed up the experience: "EWS flats become another kind of slum hidden inside gated societies. The discrimination is subtle, but you feel it every day."
He lives with his wife, two children, and another family member in a one-bedroom apartment. Residents have repeatedly complained about broken walls, poor water supply, and delayed repairs.
"We have been asking the authorities to repair the boundary wall for years. Every time, we are given a new date and another assurance."
From stray animals to outsiders sneaking in, the broken walls are a constant nuisance. Residents also fear the wall could collapse.
What Comes Next
The conflicts across NCR highlight a fundamental flaw in inclusive housing policies. While mandates require developers to set aside EWS units, the day-to-day management often leaves these residents without basic rights, security, or dignity.
RWAs argue that without maintenance fees, they cannot provide equal services. EWS residents argue that they are being punished for being poor, even as they pay rent and live within the same complex.
Until clear policies are enforced—covering maintenance responsibilities, tenant registration, and non-discriminatory access to common facilities—the dream of inclusive housing will remain a promise unkept, hidden behind high walls and locked gates.
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