Society basement turns garbage dump in Gurugram

Enviro, the maintenance company, responded by saying that they are working with the civic agency to resolve the problem as soon as possible

Residents of Ramprastha The Edge Towers in Sector 37D said unsegregated waste is being dumped in their basement parking area by the maintenance agency, in blatant violation of solid waste management rules. Despite them giving numerous complaints to civic authorities, they are yet to act against the violation.

The parking lot has become a landfill and a mosquito breeding ground due to the authorities’ indifference, said residents. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Meanwhile, the parking lot has become a mosquito breeding , posing a health hazard to residents.

There is also a rat infestation, a foul odour permeating the area, and a pack of stray dogs hanging around, said residents.

Residents of the building said waste is collected from individual apartments and disposed of in the basement by the maintenance agency, Enviro.

The waste is then very erratically picked up from the basement, sometimes weekly or biweekly, said residents.

According to the residents’ welfare association (RWA), they have repeatedly contacted the maintenance agency seeking an end to the practice, but their complaints have gone unaddressed.

According to Vijay Rana, president of the Ramprastha The Edge Towers residents’ welfare association, they have repeatedly requested that the maintenance agency to construct an appropriate garbage collection area.

The building’s occupants said they have shared images on social media to draw attention to the problem, but to no avail.

Another resident, Ankit Sharma, said the current situation puts residents at risk of fires as the waste pileup is right next to parked vehicles.

“Parking in the basement is becoming difficult due to a lack of staff to manage waste disposal and designate proper disposal locations. In addition, the recent rain, combined with the piled-up garbage, has increased mosquito breeding. This problem has persisted for six months,” said Sharma.

Another resident, Raj Pandey, said the situation remained unaddressed despite repeated complaints.

“Improper waste disposal could result in fire hazards due to chemical reactions. The rats also pose a risk to parked vehicles, as rodents often eat through wires. The foul odour from the basement exacerbates the problem,” he said.

Residents have threatened to publicly protest against the maintenance agency if the situation does not improve.

Enviro, the maintenance company, said they are acting on complaints.

“Some of the towers at Ramprastha are currently under construction, and the issue has come to our attention. We are working with the civic agency to resolve the problem as soon as possible,” said lt col Sunil Kumar Mehta (retd), senior vice-president of residential services, Enviro.

When contacted, MCG commissioner PC Meena said the civic body will look into the issue.