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Gurugram ramps up cleanliness drive with public participation

MCG officials said the civic body and the district administration are conducting daily on-site inspections to ensure effective monitoring of the cleanliness efforts

Updated on: Jun 19, 2024, 08:02:10 IST
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The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has intensified its cleanliness drive with increased public participation, with the goal of making Gurugram the cleanest city in Asia. Officials from the civic body held meeting with zone-wise citizen supervisory committees on Tuesday to enhance the participation of residents in improving cleanliness and waste management, people aware of the matter said.

Municipal Corporation of Gurugram commissioner Narhari Singh Bangar and ULB additional director (headquarters) YS Gupta conduct an inspection in Gurugram on Tuesday. (HT Photo)
Municipal Corporation of Gurugram commissioner Narhari Singh Bangar and ULB additional director (headquarters) YS Gupta conduct an inspection in Gurugram on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

MCG officials said the civic body and the district administration are conducting daily on-site inspections to ensure effective monitoring of the cleanliness efforts.

Municipal commissioner Dr Narhari Singh Bangar emphasised the need for public participation in making Gurugram a cleaner and better city. He said the district administration and MCG have already identified most vulnerable points of sanitation that required urgent attention. “The government’s objective is to make Gurugram the cleanest city in Asia. I visited at least 20 places on Tuesday morning and requested people not to litter and to use dustbins,” he said.

Bangar said that door-to-door garbage collection will be improved within a week, and waste from secondary collection points is being transported to the Bandhwari waste disposal plant. “Efforts are underway to introduce better waste management technologies in collaboration with companies such as NTPC and IGL,” he said.

During the meeting, the committee’s co-chairman Sudhir Krishna proposed the creation of a comprehensive city sanitation and waste management plan, which would include components like IEC and capacity building. Another member said there is a need to ensure waste disposal by bulk waste generators, who are responsible for 55-60% of the waste.

“The registration of all bulk waste generators is important on an online portal for better functioning. Another member suggested ensuring proper waste management at hotels, banquet halls, and restaurants and recommended developing a detailed plan and strategy, and advocated for a ban on single-use plastics. We have urged the committee members to review the city sanitation plan prepared by the corporation and provide their feedback after visiting the spots,” he said.

The MCG commissioner appealed to citizens organising community feasts (bhandaras) and water distribution stalls to maintain cleanliness and to dispose waste in dustbins. He discouraged the use of single-use plastics, and recommended utilising utensils from the city’s utensil banks during such events.

  • Leena Dhankhar
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Leena Dhankhar

    Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More