Residents of sectors 50-66 complain about open waste burning

Residents of sectors 50 to 66 complained to the authorities that open waste burning has increased in the city in the past few weeks of the lockdown

Residents of sectors 50 to 66 complained to the authorities that open waste burning has increased in the city in the past few weeks of the lockdown.

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On Sunday, residents, under the banner of Citizens for Clean Air, wrote to the authorities about three different waste burning sites within a one-kilometre radius. The sites were identified near South City 2, a group of housing societies in the vicinity and Golf Course Extension Road.

Sonali Venkatesh, a resident of Sector 66, said, “Despite several complaints to authorities, open burning of mixed waste in our sector around a nearby condominium happens very often. At least once a week, the collected waste is dumped in open areas and burnt.”

Ruchika Sethi Takkar, another resident working for proper waste management in the city who complained about waste burning, said, “Within a one-kilometre radius of my house, waste was being burnt openly at three places on Sunday and what is shocking is that this happens in broad daylight as contractor-based waste collectors have made it a practice of handling waste.”

The residents are now planning to write to the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram for a systematic approach to end the problems.

“Open waste burning is rampantly practised here, so we are asking authorities to conduct a waste mapping exercise of vendors and scrap dealers who burn different types of waste, and exploring if they can be reimbursed for the residue (like copper from wires of electrical waste) that they try to collect from the waste burning process. Another need of the hour is an integrated solid waste management plan for the city so that waste can be scientifically managed,” said Takkar.

Meanwhile, teams from the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram conducted ground surveys on Monday and said that rigorous awareness campaigns will be conducted against open waste burning.

“We have been able to reduce open burning of waste in the city, but controlling it completely is difficult. We have been issuing challans regularly to the offenders and will be conducting sessions with different waste collectors in the city to make them understand the consequences of waste burning to the environment and health,” said a senior MCG official, requesting anonymity.