Gurugram: The city is knee-deep in a waste management crisis as unauthorised individuals, posing as employees of the now-defunct concessionaire Ecogreen Energy, are allegedly collecting ₹60 per month from Gurugram residents for door-to-door garbage collection.
The racket has emerged in the absence of an official waste collection agency, with the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) yet to finalise new contractors nearly six weeks after Ecogreen’s contract expired on June 15.
HT visited 10 residential colonies on Thursday and found that several households, particularly in Old Gurugram, were paying monthly charges to unknown collectors who claimed to represent Ecogreen. Slips handed out to residents carried the company’s name and logo, falsely suggesting an ongoing official association.
Receipts bearing the company’s name and logo are being issued to lend an air of legitimacy.
“We don’t even know who our waste collector is. He claims to be from Ecogreen, and we’ve been paying him ₹60 every month,” said Rekha Nandal, a resident of Sheetla Colony. “There’s been no communication from MCG. We assumed this was officially authorised.”
In Ashok Vihar Phase 3, residents say waste remains uncollected for days, turning the area into a mosquito breeding ground. “Garbage is rotting in every lane. Hygiene has collapsed,” said Vikas Hooda, president of the local RWA. “Nobody from the authorities is monitoring the mess.”
{{/usCountry}}In Ashok Vihar Phase 3, residents say waste remains uncollected for days, turning the area into a mosquito breeding ground. “Garbage is rotting in every lane. Hygiene has collapsed,” said Vikas Hooda, president of the local RWA. “Nobody from the authorities is monitoring the mess.”
{{/usCountry}}Adding to the chaos is the sudden disappearance of sanitation workers from several areas, allegedly due to ongoing police verification and detention drives. A large section of the city’s sanitation workforce—comprising mostly migrants—has either gone underground or left the city out of fear, further paralysing an already strained system.
Ecogreen, which had held the contract since 2017, officially ceased operations last month. “We are no longer active in Gurugram. If someone is collecting user fees using our name, it is a serious matter and warrants investigation,” a company spokesperson said.
Municipal officials confirmed that four private agencies were engaged temporarily after Ecogreen’s exit, but admitted there was no clear mechanism in place to monitor collection or verify collectors.
“This is impersonation. Door-to-door waste collection is a free civic service. No one can charge residents on behalf of a company that is no longer operational,” said Pradeep Dahiya, MCG commissioner. “We will take strict action against such illegal activities.”
Dahiya said that 400 vehicles are currently engaged in citywide waste collection. A fresh tender was floated on Monday, dividing the city into four zones. Each zone will be managed by a private firm under a new five-year contract, extendable by two years based on performance.
Officials said the move is part of a broader overhaul aimed at ensuring efficient waste segregation at source, timely transportation, and better accountability.
Until the new agencies are appointed, however, residents remain caught between overflowing bins, vanishing workers, and unscrupulous impostors—paying the price for a civic system in disarray.