News: Why Gurugram is drowning in construction debris-03-03-2023
MCG had earlier outsourced C&D waste collection and transportation to a private agen contract between the private firm and MCG, however, was put on hold after it was foun be allegedly involved in a Rs 50 crore scam.
Unauthorised dumping of construction and demolition (C&D) waste is rampant across the city. Residents of several areas have claimed that MCG has failed to check the illegal dumping.
MCG had earlier outsourced C&D waste collection and transportation to a private agency. The contract between the private firm and MCG, however, was put on hold after it was found to be allegedly involved in a Rs 50 crore scam. In the absence of a concessionaire, the civic body has done little at the ground level to check illegal C&D waste dumping.
TOI visited several areas of the city on Thursday and found heaps of C&D waste dumped at Sector 29, Gurgaon-Faridabad road, Saraswati Kunj and Sector 52.
At Sector 29, locals said a tractor comes in every half an hour and dumps waste at a vacant spot, creating a mound of debris.
"A truck comes here every 30 minutes with a load of waste. Dumping happens mostly during the day. Earlier, some trucks used to come to lift the waste, but nobody is clearing it now. We come here to take out some iron rods or any other material of use to us," said Ram Kumar, who was sorting through the waste.
A vacant parcel of land near Saraswati Kunj is another site where dumping takes place round the clock. Residents said around 40 trucks dump debris every day at the site
"The mounds of waste are cleared every three months, but it isn't enough. The area is never completely cleared as dumping takes place regularly. It is also causing dust pollution in the area," a resident said. Meanwhile, MCG said it is planning to engage a new firm for C&D waste management.
"C&D waste collection and transportation was earlier done by a private firm, but the contract was put on hold, following which there has been no agency to collect and transport the waste. We are considering engaging a new agency to streamline collection and transportation of C&D waste," commissioner PC Meena said.
"I have also directed the private agency managing the waste plant at Basai to lift the garbage dumped at the main sector roads on a priority basis. Their contract covers lifting waste within a 15km radius of their plant, but I have told them to go beyond this boundary," he added.
After receiving several complaints last year, MCG lifted C&D waste from Gurgaon-Faridabad road, but more garbage has been dumped on both sides of the 150metre stretch just ahead of Khushboo Chowk
Last year, debris had choked stormwater drains in several areas of the city, causing waterlogging in the monsoon. MCG had carried out a survey in June last year and identified 314 sites where waste was being dumped. These sites included the spots TOI visited.
It was also discussed in one of the meetings of senior officials of the corporation that the CCTV cameras installed at traffic lights would be used to check the illegal dumping, but MCG has taken no such steps so far.
MCG has generated just Rs 48 lakh as income from C&D waste collection in the first three quarters of the current fiscal year, compared to its estimate of Rs 2 crore. On September 10 last year, an RTI activist submitted a complaint to chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and other top officials alleging corruption of more than Rs 50 crore by the private company in charge of collecting, transporting and dumping of C&D waste. The MCG constituted a four-member committee on December 14, and the panel submitted its report in January 2022, which was sent to the state government. In February this year, Meena constituted a three-member committee to ascertain whether the private firm should be penalised or not.
