As Gurugram homes get Diwali makeover, streets remain littered with garbage

Residents said despite repeated complaints to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), garbage continued to accumulate along roadsides and in residential neighbourhoods

As Gurugram residents clean and decorate their homes ahead of Diwali, heaps of garbage, construction debris and layers of road dust continue to mar streets and key roads across the city, raising questions about the civic authorities’ preparedness for the festive season.

Garbage strewn across an empty plot in Sector 23A near Carterpuri village. (HT Photo)

From residential sectors to major arterial roads, residents have flagged illegal dumping, overflowing garbage collection points and inadequate sanitation. Complaints have emerged from Sector 23A, Tigra village, Sector 46, Sector 67, Sector 70 and stretches along Southern Peripheral Road (SPR) and Golf Course Extension Road (GCER), among other locations.

Residents said despite repeated complaints to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), garbage continued to accumulate along roadsides and in residential neighbourhoods, with little evidence of sustained efforts to address the problem.

Bhawani Shankar Tripathi, a resident of Sector 23A, said three garbage-vulnerable points in the neighbourhood remained a persistent concern. He alleged that sanitation workers acted only after residents repeatedly raised complaints through civic grievance platforms or social media.

“Why do they need reminders from residents on a daily basis?” he said.

“Short-term cleanliness campaigns, conducted for a few days, do little to bring about any meaningful change on the ground. The civic authorities need to move beyond temporary measures and focus on finding lasting solutions to these persistent problems,” he said.

In Sector 46, residents complained that a service road along Netaji Subhash Marg had become an informal dumping ground, with accumulated garbage and sewage overflow making it difficult for commuters to use the stretch.

“The service lane is either littered with garbage or inundated with sewage overflow. What is the point of having a service lane if two-wheeler riders and other commuters cannot even use it?” a resident said.

Similar concerns have been raised in Tigra village near Sector 50, where residents said garbage heaps attracted stray cattle and left the surrounding areas reeking.

Riya Mishra, a Sector 50 resident, said waste accumulation was also a persistent problem near Kanhai village, close to Sector 45.

“The situation is extremely poor, and despite the repeated concerns, there seems to be no solution in sight,” she said.

In Sector 14, residents said even an increase in sanitation workers had failed to bring about a noticeable improvement in cleanliness.

Kalyan Singh, a resident, questioned why the civic authorities could not ensure that public spaces received the same attention that households devoted to cleaning their homes before the festival.

“While we are busy decorating and cleaning our homes for Diwali, the question is who will take care of the city? Even on the day of the festival, heaps of garbage will continue to lie scattered across the roads, reflecting the lack of effective civic management,” he said.

Mishra said residents had grown increasingly resigned to the city’s sanitation problems, with expectations of special cleanliness drives ahead of Diwali fading over the years.

“Earlier, additional efforts were made to clean up the city, especially ahead of Diwali. However, things have changed over the years, and residents have almost become accustomed to Gurugram’s poor sanitation conditions. Now, we do not even expect the city’s cleanliness situation to improve by the time Diwali arrives,” she said.

MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya said the civic body was taking sustained enforcement action against individuals and establishments violating pollution-control and sanitation norms.

“Open burning of waste, improper disposal of construction and demolition waste, transportation of uncovered construction material and non-compliance with dust-control measures will not be tolerated,” he said.

Another MCG official said the corporation had increased the number of sanitation workers to up to 50 in each ward to improve cleanliness.

“The results will be visible soon. We are also taking action against illegal dumping,” the official said.