Latest news with #MunicipalCorporationofGurugram
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Bandhwari landfill to get ₹96 lakh green makeover
Gurugram: The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has floated a tender worth ₹96lakh to beautify the Bandhwari landfill's front-facing stretch along the Gurugram-Faridabad Road. The initiative, which is a part of a larger ₹2.45 crore revamp, aims to mitigate the visual and environmental impact of the landfill through a mix of landscaping, fencing and plantation, officials aware of the matter, said. To enhance the aesthetic appeal of the Bandhwari landfill stretch, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has initiated a beautification drive along its periphery to shield the massive garbage dump from public view in Gurugram. (PARVEEN KUMAR/HT) MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya said the project tender includes planting trees and shrubs, erecting fences, installing tree guards, and surface turfing alongside newly constructed view cutters. 'Administrative and technical approvals were already granted. The tender will be opened on July 29,' he added. 'This is not just about hiding a landfill. It is about setting a new standard in how civic bodies deal with legacy waste sites. The beautification is part of a broader vision for ecological restoration and urban cleanliness. A long-term plan is also being drafted, and a Request for Proposal (RFP) will be prepared by the end of September after appointing a consultant. The aim is to develop a sustainable solution,' Dahiya said. The MCG chief, along with additional commissioner Ravinder Yadav and Swachh Bharat Mission joint commissioner Dr Preetpal Singh, conducted a site inspection on Wednesday. The officials reviewed ongoing work at the site including the installation of view cutters, construction of an RCC drain, and preparations for the beautification project. As part of the makeover, a 15-metre-wide and 400-metre-long cement concrete (CC) road will be built along the view cutters. A boundary wall, stormwater drain, and a second weighbridge to improve garbage truck movement are also part of the plan. Installation of jersey barriers between the road and view cutters is already in progress. A commuter, Manoj Sharma, who is a resident of Sector 56 and works in Faridabad welcomed the move: 'For years, we have driven past the landfill holding our breath. It's unpleasant and embarrassing. If this makeover brings greenery and hides the garbage, it's a win for everyone.' Meanwhile, work on constructing view cutters, a boundary wall, and a stormwater drain worth ₹2 crore has already begun on July 14. According to MCG officials, view cutters are being installed to block direct sight of the landfill from the main road. Leachate and waste that had spread to the road outside the site have been cleaned and transferred inside, clearing the road and creating a dedicated internal route for garbage trucks—reducing traffic disruptions and improving hygiene. In addition, a ₹2.45-crore proposal was floated on July 18 (tender to be opened on July 29), which includes construction of a 15-metre-wide, 400-metre-long cement concrete road alongside view cutters. An RCC drain has also been proposed. To avoid traffic delays due to garbage trucks queuing outside, the civic body has planned to install a second weighbridge to streamline entry and exit. A diesel generator has already been set up to ensure continuous power supply for these operations, allowing round-the-clock work at the site. With these steps, MCG aims to make the Bandhwari landfill a model for sustainable and citizen-friendly waste management.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Residents struggle to reach temple on Shivratri due to waterlogged road in Gurugram
Residents and devotees in Rajendra Park, Sector 105, Gurugram, were forced to wade through stagnant, filthy water to offer prayers on the occasion of Shivratri on Wednesday, as the area outside the shrine in Block C remained waterlogged due to persistent sewer overflow and rainwater accumulation. The waterlogged street due to sewer overflow at block-C Rajendra Park near Shiv Mandir, Gurugram on Wednesday. (HT Photo) Women and elderly devotees could be seen navigating the dirty water, trying to keep themselves dry while reaching the steps of the temple. The waterlogged street raised serious concerns about hygiene and public health. 'Shivratri is a sacred day for us, and yet we are forced to walk through sewer water to reach the temple,' said a local woman who came to offer prayers early in the morning. Pushpa Devi, 50, a local resident said, 'Every year we celebrate Shivratri here. Women fast, pray, and offer water to Lord Shiva. But today, we had to walk through sewage to reach the temple. It feels heartbreaking. This is not just about inconvenience — it feels like we are disrespecting our own faith because of the condition we are in. No one should have to walk barefoot in this dirty water.' The problem is not new to the area. As reported earlier by residents through their complaints to MCG, they have been dealing with sewer line blockages and waterlogging for over six months. Complaints have been filed with the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), but no permanent solution has been provided so far. After the recent rains, the condition worsened, leaving several parts of the area waterlogged for days. The stagnant water has led many residents to consider shifting homes or leaving the locality altogether. 'Government promises are only on paper. This is not the first time we're facing this. Every monsoon, the same story repeats — dirty water collects outside our homes, making life miserable. Children fall sick, and elders can't even step outside. Now people are seriously thinking about moving out. Even festivals don't bring happiness anymore when we can't even reach our temple without stepping in sewage,' said Tulsi Ram Sharma, a long-time resident of the area. When asked about the issue, Sunder Sheoran, executive engineer, MCG, said, 'Our machines and teams have already been deployed for dewatering the area. The issue is linked to the sewage system. At night, the water gets drained, but it returns again during peak hours in the morning. We have already floated a tender for desilting the main line. Work is also ongoing on the main sewer lines that connect to the STP (Sewage Treatment Plant). A permanent solution is in progress.' Residents have once again appealed to the authorities for urgent and permanent measures to resolve the issue.
Mint
2 days ago
- Mint
Garbage piles up in Gurugram after mass exodus of workers: ‘A collapse years in making'
Gurugram's waste management system is nearing collapse after a mass exodus of domestic and sanitation workers, allegedly driven by a police verification and detention drive targeting suspected illegal immigrants. With hundreds of informal workers fleeing the city in recent days, the fallout has been swift: door-to-door waste collection has halted across several sectors, streets are overflowing with unsegregated garbage, and housing societies are scrambling to manage trash with ad hoc arrangements. The panic is palpable, with residents and activists attributing the mass exodus to a wave of detentions reportedly targeting Bengali-speaking informal workers. From Sectors 103 and 57 to Palam Vihar, Golf Course Extension Road, and Gurugram-Faridabad Road, mounds of waste line the streets, raising fears of a looming public health emergency. Civic volunteers and residents say the absence of trained sanitation staff has left them no option but to hire tractor-trolleys for waste disposal - often leading to indiscriminate dumping without segregation. 'They didn't even inform us. Many just vanished overnight out of fear,' Richa Vohra, a waste volunteer from Sector 57 told HT. Between July 13 and 21, at least 100 individuals - many employed as house helps or garbage collectors - were allegedly detained by police. According to residents, five were later released after reportedly being told to board trains to Assam. The status of the others remains unclear. Families say most of those detained are Indian citizens, some of whom have lived in Gurugram for over five years. 'They were not even allowed to go home and fetch their Aadhaar cards. The police just dragged them into vans,' a relative of 45-year-old garbage collector Anwar Hussain was quoted as saying by HT. Activists and experts argue the situation is a direct result of systemic negligence by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG). 'Gurgaon's waste services have catastrophically failed,' said Ruchika Sethi Takkar, founder of Citizens for Clean Air. 'MCG's disregard for SWM Rules 2016 and failure to institutionalise waste workers has brought the system to its knees.' Takkar said citizen groups have already submitted a representation to MCG and the deputy commissioner, demanding an emergency contingency plan that includes temporary dry waste depots, immediate public communication, and interim collection arrangements. 'This is not a sudden crisis,' said waste management expert Kusum Sharma. 'This is a collapse years in the making. Had MCG followed SWM norms—created dry waste centres, enforced source segregation, and integrated informal workers—this situation could have been averted. Now, the city is entirely dependent on a workforce that is being criminalised.' While citizens struggle to bridge the gap, officials have remained largely silent until now. MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya admitted the city's operations had been hit hard. 'Most of the drivers and waste collectors are migratory workers, and their going away will affect our operations. We're working with senior officials and the chief minister to find alternatives and minimise disruption,' he said. But activists say the crisis extends beyond civic breakdown. 'This isn't just about garbage,' said Takkar. 'It's about the collapse of the invisible economy that keeps the city running. Without a humanitarian plan, the infrastructure will collapse.' In Palam Vihar and other sectors, residents report migrants approaching them for help, fearing harassment despite having valid documentation. 'They're being targeted for their identity,' said one resident. 'Even those with ration cards and Aadhaar are being treated like criminals. This is inhuman.' Rahul Khera, a Sector 54 resident and social sector expert, noted that although four new private agencies have been hired by the MCG, 'regardless of who's collecting the waste, it's migrant labour doing the job. They make up 100% of the city's frontline waste workforce. If they leave, this city will shut down.' He stressed the need for reforms but condemned the current approach. 'Even immigrants with valid documentation are afraid. This isn't governance—it's fear mongering.' Deputy Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) Dr Arpit Jain said the verification drive was being conducted per Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines, with a focus on suspected illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. 'Details of any suspect are sent to the home secretary, district magistrate, or deputy commissioner of the concerned state for verification. If the report is negative, we initiate deportation proceedings with help from the central government, after placing the individual in a holding area. If the report confirms Indian citizenship, the person is released,' Jain said. He confirmed that even those with Aadhaar and other documents are being held temporarily until their credentials are verified by state authorities. 'We are ensuring that no genuine citizen faces unnecessary harassment.' However, police have refused to disclose the locations of the four holding centres or the number of individuals currently detained or deported, citing security reasons.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Gurugram sinks in garbage as sanitation workers flee
Gurugram's gated luxury and glassy towers now stand amid rotting garbage. A quiet exodus is unfolding beneath the city's gleaming skyline, one that threatens to paralyse its already fragile waste management system. Housing societies are hiring tractor-trolleys to transport waste to dumping points, often without trained staff or segregation systems—resulting in indiscriminate dumping that threatens to tip Gurugram into a full-blown health emergency. (HT PHOTO) Hundreds of domestic workers and sanitation staff—many of them Bengali-speaking migrants—have fled the city in recent days, gripped by fear amid a police verification and detention drive. The fallout is swift and visible -- garbage piling up in residential sectors, door-to-door collection systems collapsing, and residents scrambling to manage waste on their own. From Sector 103 to Palam Vihar, Sectors 56, 57, Golf Course Extension Road, Gurugram-Faridabad Road, Sector 29 and new developing sectors, streets are lined with garbage bags. Housing societies are hiring tractor-trolleys to transport waste to dumping points, often without trained staff or segregation systems—resulting in indiscriminate dumping that threatens to tip Gurugram into a full-blown health emergency. 'They didn't even inform us. Many just vanished overnight out of fear,' said Richa Vohra, a waste volunteer in Sector 57. The sense of panic is real. Residents and activists say the mass departure stems from a series of detentions targeting Bengali-speaking informal workers. Between July 13 and 21, at least 100 individuals—many employed as house helps or garbage collectors—were allegedly picked up by police. Five were later released, reportedly after being instructed to board trains to Assam. The status of the others remains unclear. 'They were not even allowed to go home and fetch their Aadhaar cards. The police just dragged them into vans,' said a relative of 45-year-old garbage collector Anwar Hussain, whose family members were among those detained. According to residents, the detainees are Indian citizens—some of whom have lived in Gurugram for more than five years. Their only apparent offence: the language they speak and the region they come from. The immediate fallout has been devastating. Gurugram's door-to-door garbage collection, largely run by informal workers subcontracted by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), has collapsed across multiple neighbourhoods. 'Gurgaon's waste services have catastrophically failed,' said Ruchika Sethi Takkar, founder of Citizens for Clean Air. 'MCG's disregard for SWM Rules 2016 and failure to institutionalise waste workers has brought the system to its knees. Indiscriminate dumping and burning are on the rise.' Takkar said that citizen groups have submitted a representation to the MCG and deputy commissioner, demanding an emergency contingency plan. Key asks include temporary dry waste depots, immediate public communication, and stopgap arrangements for daily waste collection. Residents say that without a trained workforce, housing societies are forced to dump unsegregated waste—raising alarms over long-term damage to air, soil, and water. 'This is not a sudden crisis,' said Kusum Sharma, a waste management expert. 'This is a collapse years in the making. Had MCG followed SWM norms—created dry waste centres, enforced source segregation, and integrated informal workers—this situation could have been averted.' She added: 'Now, the city is entirely dependent on a workforce that is being criminalised.' With official systems in paralysis, residents' associations are stepping into the administrative void. Why Waste Your Waste and Citizens for Clean Air submitted a detailed memorandum to MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya on Monday, warning of a potential public health disaster. 'MCG has no tracking of who handles what waste. Had these workers been integrated, this collapse could have been prevented,' the letter states. It calls for ward-level composting, private tie-ups for wet waste, and clear public messaging. Parimal Bardhan, a DLF Phase 1 resident and social sector expert, said: 'Door-to-door collection is a legal responsibility under the SWM Rules. Abandoning it is both illegal and dangerous.' After days of silence, the MCG finally responded. 'Most of the drivers and waste collectors are migratory workers, and their going away will affect our operations,' said commissioner Dahiya. 'We're working with senior officials and the chief minister to find alternatives and minimise disruption.' But beyond civic collapse lies a deeper humanitarian crisis. Entire livelihoods—of cooks, drivers, cleaners—are disappearing. 'This isn't just about garbage,' said Takkar. 'It's about the collapse of the invisible economy that keeps the city running. Without a humanitarian plan, the infrastructure will collapse.' In Palam Vihar, residents say several migrants have approached them for help. 'They're being targeted for their identity,' said one resident. 'Even those with ration cards and Aadhaar are being treated like criminals. This is inhuman.' Rahul Khera, a resident of Sector 54, warned that Gurugram is already mid-transition, with four new private agencies recently hired by the MCG. But the ground reality hasn't changed. 'Regardless of who's collecting the waste, it's migrant labour doing the job. They make up 100% of the city's frontline waste workforce,' he said. 'If they leave, this city will shut down.' He acknowledged the need to address illegal immigration but criticised the execution. 'Even immigrants with valid documentation are afraid. This isn't governance—it's fear mongering.' Dr Arpit Jain, deputy commissioner of police (headquarters), said the verification drive was being conducted in strict adherence to the ministry of home affairs (MHA) guidelines, with a focus on suspected illegal immigrants, particularly from Bangladesh. 'Details of any suspect are sent to the home secretary, district magistrate, or deputy commissioner of the concerned state for verification. If the report is negative, we initiate deportation proceedings with help from the central government, after placing the individual in a holding area. If the report confirms Indian citizenship, the person is released,' Jain said. He admitted that even those with Aadhaar and other government-issued documents are being held in temporary detention centres until their credentials are verified by the state. 'We are ensuring that no genuine citizen faces unnecessary harassment,' he said. The police refused to disclose the locations of the four holding centres set up across Gurugram, citing security concerns. They also declined to share the number of individuals currently detained or deported. The crisis has exposed the structural fault lines beneath Gurugram's glass-and-concrete image. While the city advertises itself as a smart urban hub and an investment magnet, its daily functioning hinges on the labour of people it has never formally acknowledged or protected. Unless urgent humanitarian and systemic reforms are undertaken, Gurugram risks not just a sanitation disaster—but a moral reckoning with the unsustainable foundations of its urban promise.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
Gurgaon civic body forms cell for better execution, long-term planning of sewerage operations
The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram announced on Monday that it constituted a Sewerage Management Cell (SMC) to enhance the management, maintenance, and monitoring of sewerage systems in the city. 'The cell aims to ensure transparency, timely execution, and long-term planning for sewerage operations,' a spokesperson for the municipal corporation said. The Sewerage Management Cell will oversee regular monitoring of sewerage operations, ensure timely payment of related bills, and address operational issues. It is also tasked with planning for future needs, executing tender processes, and identifying suitable land for new sewerage projects, the spokesperson added. Municipal Corporation Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya directed all civic body officials and staff to fully cooperate with the cell to make the sewerage system efficient, sustainable, and citizen-friendly. As per orders issued on Monday, Additional Municipal Commissioner Yash Jaluka will serve as the nodal officer, with Chief Engineer Vijay Dhaka appointed a member secretary. The cell includes Chief Town Planner Sanjeev Mann, all executive engineers, and Tehsildar Harikesh Gupta as members. Assistant Engineer Manoj Ahlawat will assist the nodal officer alongside his existing duties. Earlier this month, under a special drive to lock and secure open manholes, the municipal corporation had replaced damaged as well as open manholes at 319 locations across all city wards. The drive came against the backdrop of the death of Shailendra, 27, an autorickshaw driver who fell into an open manhole near Shishpal Vihar Gate 2 and drowned. Gurgaon was ranked the seventh cleanest city in Haryana and 41st nationally in the Swachh Survekshan results for 2024-25, announced last week. Per the survey, the city holds a water+ certification in the open defecation-free category, indicating advanced wastewater and sewage treatment and reuse systems that meet environmental standards. However, it has not achieved a garbage-free city star rating under comprehensive waste management that includes assessment of segregation, processing, and elimination of open dumping.
