Gurugram: MCG dumping site near SPR lacks basic infra

Residents in Gurugram's Sector 70 report a waste dumping ground lacking basic infrastructure, attracting pests and posing health risks.

A prescribed dumping ground near the South Peripheral Road in Sector 70, Gurugram is reportedly handling waste from at least 15 wards without basic infrastructure such as boundary walls or demarcation, said residents.

The site is one of 14 designated waste collection points in the city, officials said. (HT)

The site, located along a main road, has multiple open waste piles containing plastic, food, paper and sanitary waste, attracting flies and stray cattle, HT saw during a visit on Tuesday. “At least 60-62 trucks come to the ground to dump waste from various locations here,” said the area’s senior sanitation inspector (SSI), requesting anonymity.

HT found sanitation workers operating without protective gear such as gloves or boots. “We are used to it now. The smell and dirt don’t bother me anymore,” said a worker at the site, who oversees incoming trucks, manages dumping of waste onto the ground, and clears spillover from vehicles.

“The smell from the dumping pit is very bad, especially during nights when the wind blows. We also have flies and mosquitoes here. Sometimes, we cannot even eat due to the smell,” a local living near the ground said.

A roadside eatery, located close to the dumping ground, was filled with flies. Although the food was covered with lids, the risks of contamination remained high, as seen by HT during the spot check on Tuesday.

“Even after the trucks pick up the waste, the smell still stays for a long time. It used to trouble me at first, but I am now used to it. The shop is full of flies from the waste that’s being dumped on the ground,” said a worker from the eatery.

A superviser who works at the dumping yard, on the condition of anonymity, admitted to the smell from the dumping yard, but claimed that they have not received any complaints from the societies nearby.

The site is one of 14 designated waste collection points in the city, officials said.

The officer said three supervisors manage the site in 8-hour shifts, documenting truck movement and waste clearance through geo-tagged photographs sent to MCG officials. On maintenance, the SSI said the ground is levelled periodically and residual waste is cleared, but no disinfectants are used.

The MCG told HT on Wednesday that work on constructing boundary walls around these dumping yards is being carried out in a phased manner.

“The department has constructed boundary walls in five such secondary collection sites in the last three months. The tenders for the remaining sites have been floated and work will be completed in another six months,” said MCG executive engineer Sunder Sheoran.

Sheoran also said that MCG provides safety kits containing gloves, gum boots and masks to all its sanitary workers. However, the staff in the dumping ground were not seen wearing any safety gear.