Gurugram's flawed waste system fuels pollution crisis

AS air quality in Gurgaon remains poor, residents say that much pollution results from rampant open waste burning in public areas.

- PRABHAT SHUKLA

Open fires from burning garbage have been observed across the city, with one blaze in Sector 10 last month requiring 20 minutes to be extinguished after fire officials stepped in due to a lack of response from the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG).

Residents report that, despite complaints to the pollution control board, waste burning continues unchecked in areas such as DLF-2, IFFCO Chowk, Udyog Vihar, and Sector 31, often due to actions by local shopkeepers and sanitation workers.

The state's Urban Local Bodies (ULB) department has called out local agencies for insufficient action against municipal solid waste (MSW) burning, describing it as a compliance failure and a violation of the state's comprehensive air quality management system (CAQMS). In response, the ULB mandated that civic bodies file reports on enforcement efforts by Friday. Since mid-October, MCG has issued penalties amounting to Rs 35,000 for seven waste-burning violations, under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). The MCG has also warned senior officials of accountability measures if they fail to act, and it has encouraged residents to report such incidents directly.