MCG approves ₹247 crore for water conservation, green projects

Dahiya directed officials to remove encroachments around ponds and conduct drone surveys to demarcate their boundaries

Published on: Oct 14, 2026, 07:43:00 IST

By Leena Dhankhar, Gurugram

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The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has approved ₹247.13 crore for horticulture and environmental projects over three financial years, including pond rejuvenation, rainwater harvesting, treated wastewater reuse and development of green spaces, as it seeks to strengthen water conservation and expand the city’s green cover.

At the review meeting chaired by MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

At a review meeting chaired by MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya, officials presented details of projects approved between 2024-25 and September 2026. Of the total amount, ₹23.67 crore was approved in 2024-25, ₹165.73 crore in 2025-26 and ₹57.73 crore in the current financial year.

Dahiya directed officials to remove encroachments around ponds and conduct drone surveys to demarcate their boundaries. He said the corporation was focusing on expanding green spaces, conserving water and making better use of available resources.

60 ponds yet to be developed

The MCG has identified 140 ponds within its jurisdiction, up from 74 recorded earlier, following a detailed survey. Of these, 113 are owned by the civic body. Development work has been completed at 32 ponds and is under way at 21, while another 60 are yet to be developed.

The corporation has set a December 2027 deadline to develop 30 of the remaining ponds and December 2028 for the other 30. Details of the ponds have been uploaded to the Pond Development Management System (PDMS) portal.

277 rainwater harvesting structures approved

The civic body has approved 277 modular rainwater harvesting structures at a cost of ₹43.44 crore. Of these, 145 have been completed and 81 are under construction. The structures have a combined approved capacity of 19,420 cubic metres, equivalent to 194.2 lakh litres.

The corporation is also maintaining and reviving 443 traditional rainwater harvesting structures, including 391 belonging to the MCG, 17 in government schools and 35 newly added structures. A proposal to construct 10 additional soak pits is awaiting technical approval.

Treated water network to cover 312 parks

To reduce dependence on fresh water for irrigation, the MCG has laid a 49.8-km pipeline network supplying treated wastewater to 142 parks. This includes 16.5 km of pipelines connected to the corporation’s micro sewage treatment plants (STPs), supplying 33 parks, and 33.3 km linked to GMDA’s STP network, covering another 109 parks.

The corporation plans to lay another 55.15 km of pipelines to supply treated water to 170 additional parks. Once completed, the network will extend to 104.95 km and cover 312 parks.

Officials estimate that the expanded network could save around 1,138.8 million litres of fresh water annually, depending on the availability of treated water and actual usage after the network becomes operational.

Of the 49 micro STPs in the MCG area, 44 are operational and five are non-functional. The operational plants have a combined treatment capacity of 2,025 kilolitres per day, with the treated water used for non-potable purposes such as irrigation and sprinkling.

Plantation and equipment

The MCG’s horticulture wing maintains 1,447 parks, 31 green belts and 12 central verges. In the current financial year, the corporation has met its target of planting four lakh shrubs. It has also reported planting 39,500 trees, while the forest department has planted another 25,000 against an overall target of 66,000 trees. Additional plantation has been undertaken by the Catch Foundation in Bandhwari village.

To strengthen field operations, the corporation purchased 10 truck-mounted anti-smog guns, 40 tractors, 40 trailers, eight tree-pruning platforms and 40 shredders in 2025-26. The purchases increased its fleet to 49 tractors, 44 shredders and 15 tree-pruning platforms. Work orders have also been issued for nine CNG truck-mounted anti-smog guns and two road washers.

Dahiya said the projects would help conserve water, improve environmental conditions and expand the city’s green cover while strengthening the corporation’s capacity to maintain public spaces.

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

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