Clean Gurugram: MCG puts RWAs in charge of sanitation

The civic body will pay the RWAs for contracting the concessionaire and the resident bodies will be responsible for monitoring

Roping in residents directly in sanitation – a basic responsibility of the civic body – the Gurugram Municipal Corporation (MCG) will kick off a new model of maintaining clean neighbourhoods, one where residents’ welfare association will be in charge of hiring the private concessionaire to clean their respective areas.

MCG believes the new model will help curb the rising number of complaints over poor sanitation, as well as help the civic body avoid situations that arise when private contractors go on strike. (HT Photo)

The civic body will pay the RWAs for contracting the concessionaire and the resident bodies will be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the work done by the agency, said the officials.

The new model, the MCG believes, will help curb the rising number of complaints over poor sanitation, as well as help the civic body avoid situations that arise when private contractors go on strike.

PC Meena, MCG commissioner, said, “The idea is to involve residents directly in sanitation to ensure quality work. The agreement between the MCG and the RWA is being drawn up and funds will be released to the RWA monthly. Resident bodies in several sectors are already handling maintenance of parks in their colonies. MCG will also constitute teams comprising RWA members and executive engineers to monitor solid waste disposal in each locality,” he said.

Meena had implemented a similar model in 2013 during his tenure as Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (formerly, Huda) administrator. Many sector RWAs were managing sanitation in their areas and HSVP used to reimburse the RWAs for the work done. This went on till the sectors were taken over by the MCG.

Praveen Yadav, president, United Gurugram RWAs and president of RWA Ardee City, said they held a meeting with the MCG commissioner and discussed the implementation of the plan.

“Frequent sanitation strikes have impacted regular sanitation of residential areas. Many RWAs have hired private agencies for maintenance, including sweeping and sanitation, and are paying them after charging residents,” he said.

Yadav said in the new initiative, the sanitation cost will be borne by the MCG and instead of paying contractors, they will pay RWAs directly. “MCG staff hardly visit our area despite repeated complaints and they don’t pick up dry leaves -- they say that is horticulture waste. They want residents to segregate leaves, grass and mud and the whole exercise is ridiculous. They don’t sweep the lanes properly, and hardly work for two hours. After the implementation of the new plan, MCG will reimburse the amount spent on cleanliness and residents will not have to pay,” he said.

The United Gurugram RWAs had urged the MCG to empower them to handle sanitation services in their respective areas.

Puneet Pahwa, general secretary, RWA Sector 45, said sanitation in his sector is pathetic. “Earlier HSVP used to render sanitation services through RWAs and it was quite effective. MCG is currently maintaining parks and community centres through RWAs. We strongly believe that if sanitation services are also rendered through resident bodies, it will help improve the city’s sanitation considerably,” he said.

Residents also said the actual number of contractual sanitation workers approved for a sector is always more on paper and less on the ground because of lax supervision.

Bhim Singh Yadav, RWA president of Sector 22B, said they managed the sanitation services of their respective areas between 2014 and 2016 under Huda but that stopped after the colony takeover (by the MCG) started. “We are fed up with the sanitation workers’ strike and cannot leave the sector with garbage lying all over the street and corners. This move will empower the RWAs,” he said.

Meena said the initiative will create pressure on private contractors to do better work. “The private contractors will perform better duties and will ensure that the sanitation work is carried out on time. Also, they will have a fear of losing their contract,” he said.