Gurugram's vacant spaces turning into dumping grounds

Lack of an effective mechanism for waste treatment is resulting in various vacant areas in Gurugram turning in garbage dumping grounds.

Even as the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) is propagating the process of segregation and recycling of waste materials, the process doesn't seem to have yielded visible success.

Vast vacant spaces across the city continue to be used as a garbage dumping ground. The problem persists even after multiple complaints from residents.

Prominent areas in the city where vacant spaces have turned into garbage dumping grounds include Chakkarpur, Sikanderpur, Nathupur, Sukhrali, Sector 49 area and Jharsa.

Speaking to Millennium Post, MCG officials cited growing population and lack of infrastructure as main challenges in treatment of waste.

However, the officials also highlighted that measures are being adopted to promote waste recycling in the city. In Chakkarpur, garbage waste from posh areas of DLF and Golf Course Road is dumped in vacant spaces near the MCG water boosting station.

Residents have complained of the various hygiene problems resulting from the piling garbage in the area.

"All the waste from the nearby areas is dumped over here in Chakkarpur. Besides the unbearable stench, various other problems have also emerged. There is an increase in the number of stray animals like pigs, bulls and dogs who feed upon the garbage. Since there is a school

nearby, there is always a risk that these strays may attack children, "said Shyam Yadav, a resident.

"There is no planning by the government agencies. The rag pickers just come and dump the waste in this area daily. Occasionally, they try to also burn the garbage but that is of no use since there is lot of plastic waste, "added Yadav.

Not just the vacant spaces, but even green areas of Aravallis are being used for dumping waste generated from households in the city. Reacting on the issue of waste dumping in Aravallis, a senior official in Haryana Forest department mentioned that a large part of the Budget is being used to clean the region.

"There is no specific policy designed for treatment of waste. Today, there are societies that are effectively recycling the waste materials. Unfortunately, even as these policies have been shared with the MCG officials, there seems to be no urgency in implementing these measures, "said Amina Shervani, a city environmentalist.