₹173 crore spent, but Gurugram residents still flag sanitation lapses

Spending included garbage collection, manpower, vehicles, road sweeping and animal management, while officials have not provided a component-wise breakup.

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) spent ₹173 crore on sanitation-related works between January and August this year, including garbage clearance, door-to-door collection, manpower, vehicles and machines, and road sweeping, according to data accessed by HT from the accounts department. The expenditure also includes sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs and measures to address stray cattle and cow shelters.

Monthly spending ranged from ₹11 crore in April to ₹37 crore in January, according to MCG accounts data accessed by HT. (HT Archive)

The MCG spent ₹37 crore in January, ₹31 crore in February, ₹14 crore in March, ₹11 crore in April, ₹21 crore in May, ₹19 crore in June, ₹14 crore in July and ₹26 crore in August, the data showed. MCG officials have not yet shared a component-wise breakup of the expenditure, including spending on sanitation works and sterilisation and vaccination of stray animals.

In 2026, MCG floated two stop-gap tenders for door-to-door garbage collection in January and June, before a ₹647-crore long-term contract was put in place in August. The January tender covering four zones was awarded to four agencies for around ₹9.6 crore. The June tender, covering eight zones, had a project cost of ₹22.5 crore. The zones were subsequently reorganised into six in September. MCG also floated stop-gap road-sweeping tenders in March and July. The March tender cost around ₹6.8 crore for three months, while the July tender was floated for ₹22.5 crore.

Meanwhile, Pardeep Padam, ward councillor of Ward 4, said manpower shortages were affecting sanitation. “At present, Gurugram has become synonymous with poor sanitation, and this perception needs to change,” he said.

“Earlier, we had around 150 sanitation workers deployed in the areas under my ward. Now, I only get around 30 sanitation employees. With such a sharp reduction in manpower, it becomes difficult to ensure sanitation work,” he said.

HT had earlier reported concerns at secondary collection points (SCPs), including Khandsa, Berry Wala Bagh and Carterpuri. Ward councillors also flagged overflowing garbage at SCPs during the house meeting on September 11.

Residents have also raised concerns over stray cattle. “There are stray cattle on vacant plots, near garbage dumps and at key intersections, while several animals are also seen roaming on major roads. The problem is increasing day by day, but there has been no concrete action by the civic agency to address it. This needs to be tackled as a priority to ensure the safety of residents and commuters,” he said.

Neeraj Aggarwal, RWA president of Sector 52, said, “The issue is only growing. Cattle block roads, occupy vacant plots and gather along roadsides. They have also attacked passersby, and I experienced it myself. People are often forced to take different routes when cattle block their way,” he said.

An MCG official said a new agency had been awarded the tender for stray cattle. “We have launched a drive to make Gurugram stray-cattle free, and residents will see some changes on the ground,” the official said.

Records show that MCG spent nearly ₹2 crore on stray cattle-related tenders. For stray dog sterilisation and vaccination, the only available information is that in 2025, MCG awarded a tender to Maa Baglamukhi, a Jabalpur-based NGO, at rates of ₹700 per dog for sterilisation and ₹250 per dog for vaccination. A separate expenditure breakup for these services has not been made available.

A senior MCG official said sanitation would improve after the new garbage collection agencies take over. “We will see a vast improvement in sanitation conditions once the new agencies take over. Rest, we are working on improving the sanitation condition of the city every day. The road sweeping long-term tender is under technical evaluation, and we are hopeful it will be approved soon,” he said.