Gurugram RWA urges CM to act on dumping, repurpose 35-acre plot

Residents urge CM to earmark site for decentralised waste systems, STPs and parks instead of illegal dumping.

The Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) of Sector 21 in Gurugram has written to Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini, flagging rampant dumping on a 35-acre land parcel and seeking its immediate earmarking for decentralised waste management and civic infrastructure.

28 acres under HSVP turned into waste site; residents seek transfer to MCG for planned civic infrastructure. (HT)

According to the RWA, a 28-acre portion of the land falls under the jurisdiction of the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran and has, in the absence of planned use, turned into a dumping ground for solid waste, construction debris and mixed refuse, along with encroachments and environmentally hazardous activities. Of the total land parcel, 7 acres have not been acquired yet, with the matter currently pending before the Supreme Court.

Residents said the land could instead be used to address gaps in basic infrastructure. “The sector suffers from a structural deficit of essential civic amenities, including wastewater treatment facilities (micro STPs), green and wet waste composting units, and accessible community playgrounds. Instead of being reduced to a dumping ground, the land should be developed for such purposes,” said Kundan Lal Sharma, general secretary of the Sector 21 RWA.

RWA president Prakash Lamba said residents have sought transfer of the land to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram. “Further, residents of sector 21 want productive assets in this land for better utility. And we have requested that the land should be formally earmarked and transferred to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) for establishing decentralised civic infrastructure and clear directions to be issued for inter-agency coordination,” he said.

In response, MCG officials said the land falls under the jurisdiction of the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran and is not under their authority.

The issue is linked to a long-pending land acquisition dispute between landowners and HSVP. In 2013, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that only vacant plots could be acquired, while land with existing construction could not be taken over unless required for essential public utilities such as roads, water supply and electricity.

HSVP has challenged the ruling, and the matter has been pending before the Supreme Court of India since 2014. “We are expecting a verdict from the apex court within the next two to three months, as HSVP had raised certain concerns regarding the earlier ruling,” said Rakesh Saini, estate officer 1 at HSVP. “We will take necessary steps once the verdict is out.”

He added that dumping at the site will be addressed. “In the meantime, rampant dumping is definitely a concern and will be cleared from the plot within a week,” he said.

Residents also said that lack of direct access to Sector 21 from Old Gurugram Road has remained unresolved for over four decades, forcing movement through Dundahera. “The absence of direct access roads has resulted in severe and daily hardship to residents. Movement is forced through narrow internal lanes of Dundahera,” Sharma said. The RWA termed this its 59th reminder on the issue.

Meanwhile, in response to the locals’ plaints, chief minister Nayab Singh Saini said he would look into the matter during the district public relations and grievance redressal committee meeting in Gurugram on Monday.