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MCG, Ecogreen tussle takes its toll; no garbage cleared from dumping points

Gurugram: An ongoing tussle between the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and its concessionaire Ecogreen Energy over garbage collection led to no disposal of garbage from 20 secondary points across the city on Saturday

Published on: Feb 5, 2023, 00:21:09 IST
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Gurugram: An ongoing tussle between the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and its concessionaire Ecogreen Energy over garbage collection led to no disposal of garbage from 20 secondary points across the city on Saturday.

Gurugram, India-February 04, 2023: A garbage dump yard of MCG at Sabji Mandi near Kamala Nehru Park, a tussle between the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and Ecogreen Energy, their concessionaire over garbage collection, waste was not picked up from the city, in Gurugram, India, on Saturday, 04 February 2023. (Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)(Pic to go with Leena Dhankar's story)
Gurugram, India-February 04, 2023: A garbage dump yard of MCG at Sabji Mandi near Kamala Nehru Park, a tussle between the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and Ecogreen Energy, their concessionaire over garbage collection, waste was not picked up from the city, in Gurugram, India, on Saturday, 04 February 2023. (Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)(Pic to go with Leena Dhankar's story)

Officials said that the compostable waste was also sent to the secondary points but the concessionaire said their mandate was to collect and not segregate waste. Garbage was seen on the roadsides of market areas and waste collection points at Basai, Khandsa and Chakkarpur, officials added.

Residents alleged that the condition was so bad that they had to walk over the garbage. Manpreet Kaur, a resident of South City-1 alleged that her family visits the gurudwara in Sadar area and they were forced to park their car at a distance as garbage was all over the stretch. “The area was stinking and there was no one to collect or pick the waste from the main market area. Hundreds of vehicles were moving on the stretch and the garbage had spilled on the busy road,” she said.

Another resident of Chakkarpur said that they are fed up with the poor garbage maintenance. “No one is bothered about cleanliness. Almost all the roadsides have turned into garbage dumps. Despite several complaints to MCG officials, no action has been initiated,” said Sunil Yadav, who works with a private bank.

Residents alleged that after October last year, the situation has worsened. They said that the civic agencies, which are supposed to take clear the garbage, have failed residents of Gurugram.

Meanwhile, officials said they are still struggling to streamline the waste collection system in the city.

Suvendu Samantaray, general manager (operations), Ecogreen Energy, said their teams refused to pick up waste from 20 secondary waste points on Saturday. “MCG has arbitrarily stopped our teams from doing its job of waste collection and transportation from secondary collection points in Gurugram. The unanticipated action has been taken by the MCG without any information or advisory being given to us in this regard,” he said.

Samantaray said that secondary collection points are designated points given by the MCG and are currently accessible to all, including the MCG street sweeping teams and waste collectors other than the concessionaire.

“As per the concession agreement, MCG issues challans to Ecogreen Energy for loading of waste from these points and unloading them at the landfill sites. This work is done under the supervision of MCG officials from start till finish. This decision of MCG is only going to hamper and increase the waste management problems across the city,” Samantaray said.

Jaideep Kumar Narwana, MCG additional commissioner, said that they are taking action against vehicles who are not following Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and still collecting and transporting mixed waste. “We have penalised nine vehicles for violations, but we have not stopped anyone from collecting waste. This issue is not in my notice but we will resolve it at the earliest,” he said.

  • Leena Dhankhar
    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