HC appoints commissioners to monitor Gurugram’s waste management

The court has taken serious note of the civic body’s inefficiency and reprimanded officials for not providing accurate data

The Punjab and Haryana high court, in response to a petition regarding Gurugram’s deteriorating waste management, has appointed 19 local commissioners to evaluate cleanliness across the city. The appointed commissioners will conduct inspections on January 2 and 3 and submit their findings to a committee led by a retired sessions judge. Based on their reports, the court will penalise municipal officials for lapses in maintaining cleanliness.

HC appoints commissioners to monitor Gurugram’s waste management

By the court’s directive, a fine of ₹10,000 will be levied on the responsible nodal officer for each incident of negligence, while contractors will face penalties of ₹1 lakh. This initiative follows a petition filed by city resident Pankaj Yadav, highlighting the city’s plight during a two-month strike by municipal sanitation workers last year, which left Gurugram buried under heaps of garbage. The court has taken serious note of the civic body’s inefficiency and reprimanded officials for not providing accurate data.

Inspections and penalties

The local commissioners have been assigned specific villages, sectors, and colonies for inspection. The court also mandated that the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) bear the cost of paying the ₹33,000 salary for each commissioner. Fines collected from negligent officials will be directed to the Civil Hospital for procuring healthcare machinery.

Administrative action and directives

Following the court’s orders, divisional commissioner RC Bidhan convened a meeting with municipal officials on Friday to strategise further actions. Bidhan instructed that immediate action be taken against individuals or entities using private or public land for illegal waste dumping. “Such activities not only worsen environmental conditions but also contribute to public nuisance. Notices must be issued to violators, and areas must be cleaned promptly,” Bidhan said.

During a review of sanitation efforts, the senior sanitation inspector for Zone 3, Harsh Chawla, faced disciplinary action after failing to provide satisfactory explanations for the poor cleanliness in his jurisdiction. The divisional commissioner ordered a one-month salary deduction for Chawla and issued warnings to all senior sanitation inspectors. “Random inspections will be conducted, and any lapses in sanitation management will result in strict action,” Bidhan warned.

The court’s measures aim to address the long-standing issues of waste management in Gurugram while ensuring that the municipal corporation prioritises public hygiene and environmental sustainability.