‘Millennium City’ ramps up civic response after outcry over crippling infrastructure

The sheer irony of ‘Millennium City’ going under every time it gets a strong spell of rain has been the subject of public outcry and meme outrage each monsoon in the past few years. True to form, this year was no different: on July 9 and July 10, showers led to a sudden deluge, virtually turning several roads into rivers. Pictures and videos of vehicles submerged in waterlogged streets, along with traffic snarls, went viral on social media.

With systemic issues underpinning the crippling infrastructure and collapsing civic services in the city, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) on August 1 launched an intensive drive to tackle the problems at hand.

The civic body has identified about 40 critical waterlogging areas, launched a special drive against stray cattle and unauthorised hoardings across the city, and quadrupled the collection and processing of construction and demolition (C&D) waste.

Civic outcry

The Gurugram administration and the Haryana government came under fire on social media as six persons died in a two-day rain-related incidents in July. The criticism prompted the State and local authorities to swing into action.

A fortnight later, Vikas Gupta, Commissioner and Secretary of the Urban Local Bodies Department, held a high-level meeting to discuss cleanliness measures for Gurugram and announced the launch of the drive on July 28.

Later in mid-August, Chief Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Rajesh Khullar, visited the city for five days. He held meetings with local organisations, listened to citizens’ concerns, and worked with officials to develop a long-term strategy to improve civic amenities in the Millennium City.

Capacity building

With the open dumping of C&D waste being rampant, MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya told The Hindu that the mandate for collection and processing of the “unclaimed” rubble by the city’s lone plant at Basai has been increased from 300 tonnes per day (TPD) to 1,200 TPD in one year. This, he said, would help clear the C&D waste illegally dumped across the city, especially in Sector 29 and along the Gurugram-Faridabad road near Khushboo Chowk.

“Already around 22,000 tonnes of illegally dumped rubble have been lifted from Sector 29 and transported to the Basai plant. Similarly, around 5,000 tonnes have been lifted from the Gurgaon-Faridabad road,” Mr. Dahiya said.

He added that an estimated six lakh tonnes of rubble were lying at these two open dumping sites. Several smaller illegal sites, containing a few hundred tonnes of such waste, also come under the MCG’s jurisdiction.

Even as the tendering process for door-to-door collection of solid municipal waste (SMW) is under way, the MCG has ramped up its interim arrangements. The number of vehicles for waste collection in the city has been increased from 200 to 311 as a stop-gap measure.

“As a long-term solution to the city’s SMW problem, we plan to instal a waste-to-energy plant. It is the only viable solution. We have environmental clearance for the project,” Mr. Dahiya said.

Speaking about the stray cattle menace, the MCG Commissioner said 457 bovines had been rounded up during the month-long campaign. “The cattle captured during the drive are sent to gaushalas (cow shelters). Owners letting their cattle roam on roads are fined ₹25,000 for the first offence and ₹50,000 for repeat offences,” he said.

Additionally, special drives have been launched against illegal hoardings, with an average of 700 hoardings removed daily across the city.

The city corporation has also stepped up efforts to clear waterlogging in areas under its jurisdiction following the heavy showers. “We have already stepped up efforts to clear waterlogging in the areas that come under MCG limits at the earliest after the rain this season. We have also identified 40 critical points prone to waterlogging and hope to fix them by April next year,” Mr. Dahiya said.

Meanwhile, the MCG has for the first time deployed an officer at the public helpline managed by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority. This measure aims to expedite the resolution of complaints related to the civic body.