Gurugram admin steps up action against illegal waste dumping

During a high-level meeting, the commissioner reviewed the city’s sanitation system and flagged alarming gaps in waste handling

Gurugram divisional commissioner RC Bidhan on Friday directed officials to take stringent action against illegal dumping of debris and garbage across the city. During a high-level meeting with deputy commissioner Ajay Kumar, municipal commissioner Pradeep Dahiya, police, RTA, and HCS officers, the commissioner reviewed the city’s sanitation system and flagged alarming gaps in waste handling and public hygiene.

Illegally dumped garbage and construction debris in Sohna-Tauru stretch of the Aravalli region near Jalalpur village as of May 2025. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Pointing out the rising instances of garbage dumping and construction debris strewn across public spaces, Bidhan instructed enforcement teams to seize vehicles involved in such activities and register FIRs wherever necessary.

“Such violations should not be tolerated. If required, the vehicles must be impounded and offenders prosecuted to ensure illegal dumping is curbed effectively,” Bidhan said. He also directed the police to immediately act against individuals threatening anti-dumping teams or carrying weapons, calling for zero tolerance towards disruption in public service delivery.

Stressing the need for daily monitoring, Bidhan instructed that all garbage-vulnerable points must be cleaned by 8am every day. He mandated HCS officers to personally inspect these spots between 9–10am and 4–5pm, ensuring that no trash, plastic, or construction waste is left behind. “Cleanliness is not a one-day affair—it must be sustained with discipline and responsibility,” he added.

Residents too, have expressed growing frustration with the city’s poor waste management, particularly in residential and builder-dominated zones. “It’s shocking how debris is constantly dumped along sector roads and near residential blocks like ours,” said Kusum Sharma, chairperson of the Suncity RWA. “Despite complaints, action is sporadic. We appreciate the commissioner’s intervention, but what Gurugram needs is sustained monitoring and accountability on the ground.”

Municipal commissioner Pradeep Dahiya informed the panel that the civic body recently impounded 37 vehicles for illegal dumping. He added that legal procedures are underway to auction the seized vehicles. Dahiya also asked RTA officials to run special drives against overloaded trolleys transporting construction and demolition waste, especially near Sector 29, Auto Market, and Faridabad Road.

Ruchika Sethi Takkar, founder of Citizens for Clean Air, welcomed the cleanup effort but stressed the need for long-term solutions. “While clean-up initiatives are a step in the right direction, Gurugram’s prolonged waste crisis demands a more comprehensive approach,” she said. “We need enforcement of C&D Waste Management Guidelines, regulation of local trolleys, and ministerial decisions such as halting the builder-floor policy which is generating excessive demolition waste. Without structural reforms and processing capacity upgrades, the city will continue to suffer.”

The commissioner also asked the deputy commissioner to set up a special inspection team to conduct random checks and provide a ground-level reality check on cleanliness standards across Gurugram.