Gurugram residents protest against irregular waste collection

Residents in Gurgaon protested against the poor garbage collection and sanitation in residential areas. They raised concerns about disease outbreak.

Representatives of more than 10 resident welfare associations (RWAs), under the banner of Gurgaon Citizen’s Council (GCC) and Gurgaon Resident Forum, protested outside the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) office in Sector 38 on Friday, against the erratic garbage collection and sanitation in residential neighbourhoods.

Gurugram residents protest against irregular waste collection

Residents said garbage was not being lifted regularly from the colonies since the past one month. They said the unpicked garbage is rotting on the roadsides the road and vacant plots, raising apprehensions about a possible disease outbreak.

Such is the situation that residents claim that they have grown accustomed to the stench of rotting garbage. The flies and mosquitoes breeding at these spots have become a major headache, they said. The commissioner assured them that their areas will be cleaned of garbage within seven days

Residents alleged that garbage collection vehicles come only once in three or four days since the past many months. There has been no sweeping of roads or pavements either and entire sectors and colonies are in a complete mess, said residents.

Abhay Poona, vice-president of GCC, said residents from different parts of the city, including sectors developed by the erstwhile Haryana Urban Development Authority as well as private colonies, protested outside the MCG commissioner’s office to raise the issue of the irregular door-to-door garbage collection and poor sanitation. “The protest was suspended after the MCG officials agreed to resolve the issue within seven days. If the system doesn’t show any signs of improvement in the given time frame, we will be left with no choice but to dump our garbage at the commissioner’s office,” he said.

Puneet Pahwa, general secretary of Sector 45 RWA, said garbage collection in their sector is very erratic. The collection agency comes only on alternate days and garbage keep piling up in houses. “We have made several requests to officials but they are not heeding our concerns. Payment issues between MCG and its concessionaire was the main issue highlighted during discussions by officials. If this is not addressed on priority, we may have no choice but to engage another agency to address our issues,” he said.

Residents alleged that those staying in illegal hutments in villages adjoining their areas are dumping garbage in and around Sector 45.

“We would like to request MCG to assign garbage collection vehicles and also a NGO to educate villagers about garbage segregation and disposal to avoid dumping in the open . Not only that, MCG should make a boundary wall at collection points and ensure no garbage is dumped around these collection points,” said Pahwa.

Joginder Singh, a representative from Sushant Lok-2, said there is no specific reason for garbage vehicles being irregular with pickups. “Overflowing garbage bins in front of most housing societies and unclean lanes are common sights in residential areas. Keeping the city clean is a parameter under the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan; then why is the civic body is not paying attention to the issue in most areas?” he said.

MCG joint commissioner Naresh Kumar said the civic body has formed teams to check the ground situation and have asked residents to complain on the helpline number so that they have a record of each complaint received and its status. “We will start getting the areas clean and the waste issue will be resolved within seven days. We have also formed teams sector wise so that there is no load on any one official,” he said.