Civic body rejigs environment wing to boost city’s green spaces

During the civic body meeting held on Friday, mayor Rajrani Malhotra proposed a series of creative initiatives, including flower shows and a “Best Park” competition

Published on: Jun 7, 2025, 05:52:04 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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Gurugram: The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has restructured its Environment and Sustainability wing aiming to enhance urban green spaces in the city, officials from the municipal corporation said.

MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya at a meeting with civic officials at Sector 34 in Gurugram on Friday. (HT PHOTO)

During the civic body meeting held on Friday, mayor Rajrani Malhotra proposed a series of creative initiatives, including flower shows and a “Best Park” competition. “Winning parks will receive additional development funds, encouraging local residents to participate actively in maintaining and upgrading green spaces,” said Malhotra. The competitions are expected to instil a sense of pride and ownership among residents, she added.

“Making Gurugram clean, green and sustainable is not just a responsibility but a lifestyle. This initiative will strengthen our environmental identity and empower citizens to contribute meaningfully,” MCG chief Pradeep Dahiya said. He added that environmental sustainability should become an integral part of urban life and instructed officials to clear all pending park maintenance dues to RWAs by the end of June.

According to MCG officials, an accountant will be appointed to handle the financial work of the Environment and Sustainability wing. RWAs have been directed to submit their monthly park maintenance bills to the MCG by the first of every month, allowing for timely processing and disbursal by the seventh.

Additional municipal commissioner Ravindra Yadav, who serves as the nodal officer of the wing, announced a comprehensive survey of all city parks. “We will document both outer and internal infrastructure details and assign a unique Park ID to each green space,” he said. He also shared plans to expand the use of treated water from sewage treatment plants (STPs) to water parks, with new pipelines to be laid in various locations to reduce groundwater dependence.

Yadav added that specific locations are being earmarked for horticultural waste disposal, addressing a longstanding challenge in garden waste management. The meeting was attended by executive engineers Sachin Yadav and Sandeep Kumar, chief accounts officer Vijay Kumar Singla and officials from the horticulture department of the municipal corporation.

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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