Garbage piles up at Gurugram waste points amid delay in lifting

In Khandsa, residents said waste from the local SCP has not been lifted regularly for months, leading to massive accumulations.

Gurugram

A garbage secondary collection point in Khandsa with accumulated waste. (Parveen Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Residents across the city have flagged the growing mountains of garbage at secondary collection points (SCPs), alleging severe delays in waste lifting that have turned neighbourhoods into breeding grounds for unhygienic conditions.

Of the city’s 14 SCPs, 12 are currently functional, according to Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) officials. The SCP in Prem Puri was shut down months ago, while the facility near Tulip Chowk in Sector 70 has also been closed, with its waste now set to be diverted to Beri Wala Bagh for disposal, officials added.

SCPs serve as intermediary hubs where door-to-door collections are brought for segregation before being sent to Bandhwari for processing.

In Khandsa, residents said waste from the local SCP has not been lifted regularly for months, leading to massive accumulations. “I live near the SCP and have observed that waste is not being lifted adequately, resulting in large piles of garbage,” said Prashant Kumar, a local resident. The site has also become a fire hazard, having caught fire multiple times in recent months. HT had reported in June that the Khandsa facility witnessed two fires within a week, each taking over 24 hours to douse.

In Sector 21, waterlogging at the Carterpuri SCP disrupted door-to-door collection for days. “Workers said fresh waste could not be dumped as the site was in poor condition due to rainwater,” said Kundan Lal Sharma, general secretary of the Sector 21 RWA. Dumping at the site could only be resumed after the water was pumped out, Sharma added.

At Beri Wala Bagh, the city’s largest SCP located along NH-48, residents alleged the site is barely 100 metres from residential complexes, with tractors parked haphazardly, choking traffic.

During spot checks by HT last week, garbage at the now-shut Sector 70 SCP was seen spilling onto the main road, with stray cattle feeding on the piles and a foul stench filling the area. No sanitation officer was present at the site.

A sanitation inspector previously deployed at the site, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the facility was closed following persistent complaints about foul stench from residents of nearby Florence Estate.

MCG had announced a revamp project for collection points in April this year, with a June 1 deadline. According to officials, the project included construction and repair of boundary walls, installation of sanitation facilities, paving of internal roads, and overall measures to improve the appearance of the sites.

However, HT reported in June that MCG had missed the deadline.

MCG joint commissioner (Zone 4) Sapna Yadav said action will be taken against those responsible. “We are aware of the situation in Sector 70 and Khandsa SCPs. We have received reports about waste not being lifted from the sites. We are inspecting the allegations and will be imposing a fine on contractors for the violations,” she said.

Meanwhile, MCG joint commissioner (Swachh Bharat Mission) Preetpal Singh attributed the slowdown to monsoon conditions. “Collection points get muddy, making it difficult for trucks. The situation will improve once rains subside,” he said.