Construction & demolition waste charges slashed by 85% amid garbage pile-up in Gurgaon, sanitation strike ends

In a bid to curb illegal dumping of garbage across vacant plots, green belts and roadsides, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) slashed the processing and lifting charge for non-bulk construction and demolition (C&D) waste by over 85% during a General House meeting on Friday.

The meeting came on the day the 37-day statewide strike by municipal sanitation workers was called off, potentially easing the garbage situation in Gurgaon. The decision to reduce the fee for non-bulk C&D waste – generated primarily by individual homeowners and small renovation projects – from Rs 360 per tonne to Rs 50 per tonne was taken at the meeting chaired by Mayor Raj Rani Malhotra at the Haryana Institute of Public Administration.

The charge for bulk waste generators, however, will remain unchanged at Rs 360 per tonne, officials said. Municipal Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya said the earlier uniform fee structure had discouraged many residents and local contractors from using authorised disposal facilities.

Many, he added, instead dumped debris along arterial roads, expressways and vacant plots. Under the revised system, non-bulk generators can take debris to the MCG’s processing facility at Basai or designated secondary collection centres for Rs 50 per tonne.

They can also book doorstep collections by generating a challan through MCG's online portal. The meeting saw heated discussions with councillors questioning the availability of machinery and personnel on the ground as well as the implementation of sanitation contracts.

Ward 28 councillor Dharambir Bhangrola said garbage and debris had accumulated at the Beriwala Bagh secondary collection point along the highway. He warned that he would launch a public sit-in if the facility was not cleared within 10 days.

"Short-term sanitation tenders worth crores were sanctioned in July, but garbage continues to pile up in my ward with little to no work being executed on the ground," he alleged. He maintained that payments were being disbursed to private contractors even as basic machinery, including the minimum 10 waste collection vehicles required for his ward, remains absent.

Echoing similar concerns, Ward 6 councillor Satpal said unauthorised C&D waste dumping continued in Daultabad despite his complaint to the civic administration more than a year ago. Responding to the allegations, Dahiya said payments to contractors were verified against GPS monitoring reports.

He said Beriwala Bagh had come under additional pressure as waste was being diverted there because of ongoing civil work at the Carterpuri and Khandsa collection points. He directed officials to review the vehicle shortage in Ward 28 and provide the required machinery.

Meanwhile, the 37-day statewide agitation, led by the Haryana Nagarpalika Karamchari Sangh since August 6, ended after union leaders met Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini in Chandigarh. The state government agreed to key demands, including a monthly risk allowance of Rs 2,000, wage revisions for sewermen, cashless medical benefits under the CHIRAYU scheme, enhanced accident insurance coverage and reinstatement of suspended and terminated personnel.

Union leaders said workers would immediately resume duties. The Gurgaon unit of Nagarpalika Karamchari Sangh told The Indian Express that garbage heaps across the city would be cleared within three days. “Employees will return to their respective duties starting today, and we will serve the residents by working with complete sincerity.

We will make every effort to restore the city’s sanitation system, which deteriorated due to the strike,” said union president Basant Kumar. The House, meanwhile, unanimously approved 1,445 sq m of municipal land in Sector 7 for an entry and exit structure for the Gurugram Metro Rail Project’s Priority 2 corridor.