MCG to set up panels to improve cleanliness, manage waste in Gurugram

Gurugram’s cleanliness has declined drastically over the past year, according to the Swachh Survekshan Survey 2023, the annual ranking of cities based on their cleanliness by the Centre

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) will set up five- member zone-wise citizen supervisory committees to enhance citizen participation in improving cleanliness and waste management, said officials.

Workers from the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) clearing a city locality as part of a cleanliness drive in Civil Lines area near Nehru Stadium in Gurugram. (Parveen Kumar/HT PHOTO)

Officials said decision to form zone-wise citizen supervisory committees was taken to improve the ground situation and to involve residents. MCG held meetings with residents to improve sanitation situation across the city and chalked out plans, said officials.

Balpreet Singh, additional commissioner MCG said that five-member committee will be formed in all four zones. “These committees will be chaired by the MCG Joint commissioners, with four other members, including two women and two men. Applicants interested in becoming members of the Zone-wise citizen supervisory committees must submit recommendations from at least ten citizens of their respective zones by May 22, at jcsbm@mcg.gov.in. This will change the current situation in residential area since residents will also be held responsible in case cleanliness or sanitation situation did not improve,” he said.

Gurugram’s cleanliness has declined drastically in the past year, according to the Swachh Survekshan Survey 2023, the annual ranking of cities based on their cleanliness by the central government, which judged it the 140th cleanest city out of 446 urban local bodies with a population of more than 100,000 people.

Officials said the decision as taken after many RWAs (residents’ welfare associations) had requested to involve them so that they could keep a check on the daily cleanliness and waste issues in their neighbourhood.

Representatives of 40 RWAs in Gurugram met the deputy commissioner, Nishant Yadav, on April 23 to apprise him of their problems related to sanitation, cleanliness, and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) not giving them funds to maintain parks.

Kusum Sharma, a resident of Suncity Township in Sector 54 and a member of citizen monitoring committee said now the issues will be discussing zone wise. “This committee will help to resolve the issues and the members will take interest in their respective areas and will ensure the private agency is working properly and waste is picked everyday and areas are cleaned,” she said.

Gauri Sarin, founder of Making Model Gurugram, a citizens’ initiative, said there is a dire need to form an Empowered Citizens Environment Committee as announced on April 10 to make roadmap and taskforce for implementation- both by residents and government agencies. “While five areas were identified for immediate attention, the committee had proposed a wider role in all key aspects of environment action with purpose of mitigating pollution and making Gurugram liveable. The Committee has already shared the first draft around road dust mitigation, waste burning, SWM, C & D disposal and greening with inputs of city’s residents,” she said.