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First Post
6 days ago
- First Post
With garbage everywhere, Gurugram stinks: What's going on?
Gurugram is facing a full-blown waste crisis with garbage piling up across neighbourhoods of the high-tech city. The problem arises as migrant workers, many of whom work as waste collectors and house helpers, have stopped showing up for work due to frequent police verifications. This exodus has left residents to fend for themselves read more Gurugram is choking, and this time, it's not just the traffic. It's the trash. Over the past few weeks, mounds of garbage have started piling up across the city, spilling over onto footpaths, roads, and even upscale neighbourhoods. From Golf Course Extension Road to Southern Peripheral Road, the stench of uncollected waste hangs heavy in the air. It is hard to miss, and becoming even harder to ignore. Locals are angry, civic activists are demanding accountability, and experts say this full-blown waste crisis was years in the making. So what exactly is going on in one of India's most high-profile cities? We take a closer look STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gurugram's messy situation Across several parts of the city, residents say their daily routines have been turned upside down. Car cleaners, house helpers, and garbage collectors have stopped showing up for work, leaving many societies to fend for themselves. The reason? A large number of these workers, many of them migrant labourers from Bengal and Assam, have reportedly fled Gurugram and returned to their villages in fear. According to a report by Hindustan Times, the panic began after a verification drive by Gurugram Police, which allegedly involved random checks, detentions, and threats of deportation. Between July 13 and 21, nearly 100 people, mostly working as domestic staff or sanitation workers, were reportedly picked up by the police. Some were later released but allegedly instructed to board trains back to Assam. 'They were not even allowed to go home and fetch their Aadhaar cards. The police just dragged them into vans,' a relative of 45-year-old garbage collector Anwar Hussain told HT, adding that some of his family members were among those detained. Residents in areas like Sectors 69 and 70 say workers who had been living and working in Gurugram for years have either left or are preparing to leave, with many heading back to West Bengal or Assam. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD So far, police have refused to disclose the locations of the four holding centres or the number of individuals currently detained or deported, citing security reasons. The impact on the city's sanitation services has been immediate and severe. Gurugram's door-to-door waste collection system, which heavily depends on these informal workers subcontracted by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), has virtually collapsed in several neighbourhoods. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even MCG officials have acknowledged the disruption. 'Most of the drivers and waste collectors are migratory workers, and their going away will affect our operations. We're working with senior officials and the chief minister to find alternatives and minimise disruption,' MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya told the outlet. The collapse years in the making While the current crisis may have been triggered by a sudden exodus of workers, experts and civic activists say the writing had been on the wall for years. 'This is not a sudden crisis,' waste management expert Kusum Sharma told Hindustan Times. 'This is a collapse years in the making. Had MCG followed Solid Waste Management (SWM) norms—created dry waste centres, enforced source segregation, and integrated informal workers—this situation could have been averted. Now, the city is entirely dependent on a workforce that is being criminalised.' Activists argue that the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has consistently ignored its responsibility under the SWM Rules, 2016. The rules call for source segregation, decentralised waste processing, and formal integration of waste workers, none of which have been properly implemented in the city. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Gurgaon's waste services have catastrophically failed,' Ruchika Sethi Takkar, founder of Citizens for Clean Air told the outlet. 'MCG's disregard for SWM Rules 2016 and failure to institutionalise waste workers has brought the system to its knees.' Takkar added that citizen groups have already submitted a representation to the MCG and the deputy commissioner, urging an emergency plan to tackle the garbage crisis. The demands include setting up temporary dry waste depots, putting out immediate public advisories, and arranging interim waste collection services. Meanwhile, citizens continue to raise alarms. Residents have taken to social media to post videos and pictures of overflowing garbage bins, uncollected waste rotting in corners, and stray dogs and cows feeding on the filth. This is the main chowk on Gurugram #wazirabad chowk. You can see a trolly of waste material that is brought here each day. @MunCorpGurugram @DC_Gurugram @cmohry - is this the cleanliness you are promising. I challenge commissioner Gurugram to stand in front of it for 20 mins. — Vivek Lamba 🇮🇳 (@VivekLamba_) July 22, 2025 STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Close to Nirvana Country, during my morning cycling. Gurgaon is setting a new bench mark in urban planning and sustainability. Most animal and garbage friendly city. Such a joy to live in the millennium city 😊#Gurgaon #Gurugram @IndianGems_ @DC_Gurugram @cmohry — Maj Gen (Dr) YashMor (@YashMor5) July 23, 2025 Will a Rs 400 crore waste collection tender save Gurugram? As the garbage crisis in Gurugram escalates, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has finally received clearance to float a massive Rs 402 crore tender for door-to-door waste collection, according to a Hindustan Times report. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This tender is part of a long-overdue revamp of the city's broken waste management system. Bidding is expected to begin Wednesday. According to officials, each selected agency will have 21 days to submit applications and start operations in their designated zones by December 1. They've also been given a 90-day boarding period to prepare for the rollout. On paper, it sounds promising. But not everyone is convinced. Rahul Khera, a Sector 54 resident and social sector expert, pointed out that the plan still depends entirely on migrant workers. 'Regardless of who's collecting the waste, it's migrant labour doing the job. They make up 100 per cent of the city's frontline waste workforce. If they leave, this city will shut down,' he said. Khera welcomed reforms but criticised the current tactics, especially the fear-driven police checks. 'Even immigrants with valid documentation are afraid. This isn't governance — it's fear mongering.' With input from agencies
Mint
22-07-2025
- Mint
Garbage piles up in Gurugram after mass exodus of workers: ‘A collapse years in making'
Gurugram's waste management system is nearing collapse after a mass exodus of domestic and sanitation workers, allegedly driven by a police verification and detention drive targeting suspected illegal immigrants. With hundreds of informal workers fleeing the city in recent days, the fallout has been swift: door-to-door waste collection has halted across several sectors, streets are overflowing with unsegregated garbage, and housing societies are scrambling to manage trash with ad hoc arrangements. The panic is palpable, with residents and activists attributing the mass exodus to a wave of detentions reportedly targeting Bengali-speaking informal workers. From Sectors 103 and 57 to Palam Vihar, Golf Course Extension Road, and Gurugram-Faridabad Road, mounds of waste line the streets, raising fears of a looming public health emergency. Civic volunteers and residents say the absence of trained sanitation staff has left them no option but to hire tractor-trolleys for waste disposal - often leading to indiscriminate dumping without segregation. 'They didn't even inform us. Many just vanished overnight out of fear,' Richa Vohra, a waste volunteer from Sector 57 told HT. Between July 13 and 21, at least 100 individuals - many employed as house helps or garbage collectors - were allegedly detained by police. According to residents, five were later released after reportedly being told to board trains to Assam. The status of the others remains unclear. Families say most of those detained are Indian citizens, some of whom have lived in Gurugram for over five years. 'They were not even allowed to go home and fetch their Aadhaar cards. The police just dragged them into vans,' a relative of 45-year-old garbage collector Anwar Hussain was quoted as saying by HT. Activists and experts argue the situation is a direct result of systemic negligence by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG). 'Gurgaon's waste services have catastrophically failed,' said Ruchika Sethi Takkar, founder of Citizens for Clean Air. 'MCG's disregard for SWM Rules 2016 and failure to institutionalise waste workers has brought the system to its knees.' Takkar said citizen groups have already submitted a representation to MCG and the deputy commissioner, demanding an emergency contingency plan that includes temporary dry waste depots, immediate public communication, and interim collection arrangements. 'This is not a sudden crisis,' said waste management expert Kusum Sharma. 'This is a collapse years in the making. Had MCG followed SWM norms—created dry waste centres, enforced source segregation, and integrated informal workers—this situation could have been averted. Now, the city is entirely dependent on a workforce that is being criminalised.' While citizens struggle to bridge the gap, officials have remained largely silent until now. MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya admitted the city's operations had been hit hard. 'Most of the drivers and waste collectors are migratory workers, and their going away will affect our operations. We're working with senior officials and the chief minister to find alternatives and minimise disruption,' he said. But activists say the crisis extends beyond civic breakdown. 'This isn't just about garbage,' said Takkar. 'It's about the collapse of the invisible economy that keeps the city running. Without a humanitarian plan, the infrastructure will collapse.' In Palam Vihar and other sectors, residents report migrants approaching them for help, fearing harassment despite having valid documentation. 'They're being targeted for their identity,' said one resident. 'Even those with ration cards and Aadhaar are being treated like criminals. This is inhuman.' Rahul Khera, a Sector 54 resident and social sector expert, noted that although four new private agencies have been hired by the MCG, 'regardless of who's collecting the waste, it's migrant labour doing the job. They make up 100% of the city's frontline waste workforce. If they leave, this city will shut down.' He stressed the need for reforms but condemned the current approach. 'Even immigrants with valid documentation are afraid. This isn't governance—it's fear mongering.' Deputy Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) Dr Arpit Jain said the verification drive was being conducted per Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines, with a focus on suspected illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. 'Details of any suspect are sent to the home secretary, district magistrate, or deputy commissioner of the concerned state for verification. If the report is negative, we initiate deportation proceedings with help from the central government, after placing the individual in a holding area. If the report confirms Indian citizenship, the person is released,' Jain said. He confirmed that even those with Aadhaar and other documents are being held temporarily until their credentials are verified by state authorities. 'We are ensuring that no genuine citizen faces unnecessary harassment.' However, police have refused to disclose the locations of the four holding centres or the number of individuals currently detained or deported, citing security reasons.
Hindustan Times
22-07-2025
- Hindustan Times
Gurugram sinks in garbage as sanitation workers flee
Gurugram's gated luxury and glassy towers now stand amid rotting garbage. A quiet exodus is unfolding beneath the city's gleaming skyline, one that threatens to paralyse its already fragile waste management system. Housing societies are hiring tractor-trolleys to transport waste to dumping points, often without trained staff or segregation systems—resulting in indiscriminate dumping that threatens to tip Gurugram into a full-blown health emergency. (HT PHOTO) Hundreds of domestic workers and sanitation staff—many of them Bengali-speaking migrants—have fled the city in recent days, gripped by fear amid a police verification and detention drive. The fallout is swift and visible -- garbage piling up in residential sectors, door-to-door collection systems collapsing, and residents scrambling to manage waste on their own. From Sector 103 to Palam Vihar, Sectors 56, 57, Golf Course Extension Road, Gurugram-Faridabad Road, Sector 29 and new developing sectors, streets are lined with garbage bags. Housing societies are hiring tractor-trolleys to transport waste to dumping points, often without trained staff or segregation systems—resulting in indiscriminate dumping that threatens to tip Gurugram into a full-blown health emergency. 'They didn't even inform us. Many just vanished overnight out of fear,' said Richa Vohra, a waste volunteer in Sector 57. The sense of panic is real. Residents and activists say the mass departure stems from a series of detentions targeting Bengali-speaking informal workers. Between July 13 and 21, at least 100 individuals—many employed as house helps or garbage collectors—were allegedly picked up by police. Five were later released, reportedly after being instructed to board trains to Assam. The status of the others remains unclear. 'They were not even allowed to go home and fetch their Aadhaar cards. The police just dragged them into vans,' said a relative of 45-year-old garbage collector Anwar Hussain, whose family members were among those detained. According to residents, the detainees are Indian citizens—some of whom have lived in Gurugram for more than five years. Their only apparent offence: the language they speak and the region they come from. The immediate fallout has been devastating. Gurugram's door-to-door garbage collection, largely run by informal workers subcontracted by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), has collapsed across multiple neighbourhoods. 'Gurgaon's waste services have catastrophically failed,' said Ruchika Sethi Takkar, founder of Citizens for Clean Air. 'MCG's disregard for SWM Rules 2016 and failure to institutionalise waste workers has brought the system to its knees. Indiscriminate dumping and burning are on the rise.' Takkar said that citizen groups have submitted a representation to the MCG and deputy commissioner, demanding an emergency contingency plan. Key asks include temporary dry waste depots, immediate public communication, and stopgap arrangements for daily waste collection. Residents say that without a trained workforce, housing societies are forced to dump unsegregated waste—raising alarms over long-term damage to air, soil, and water. 'This is not a sudden crisis,' said Kusum Sharma, a waste management expert. 'This is a collapse years in the making. Had MCG followed SWM norms—created dry waste centres, enforced source segregation, and integrated informal workers—this situation could have been averted.' She added: 'Now, the city is entirely dependent on a workforce that is being criminalised.' With official systems in paralysis, residents' associations are stepping into the administrative void. Why Waste Your Waste and Citizens for Clean Air submitted a detailed memorandum to MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya on Monday, warning of a potential public health disaster. 'MCG has no tracking of who handles what waste. Had these workers been integrated, this collapse could have been prevented,' the letter states. It calls for ward-level composting, private tie-ups for wet waste, and clear public messaging. Parimal Bardhan, a DLF Phase 1 resident and social sector expert, said: 'Door-to-door collection is a legal responsibility under the SWM Rules. Abandoning it is both illegal and dangerous.' After days of silence, the MCG finally responded. 'Most of the drivers and waste collectors are migratory workers, and their going away will affect our operations,' said commissioner Dahiya. 'We're working with senior officials and the chief minister to find alternatives and minimise disruption.' But beyond civic collapse lies a deeper humanitarian crisis. Entire livelihoods—of cooks, drivers, cleaners—are disappearing. 'This isn't just about garbage,' said Takkar. 'It's about the collapse of the invisible economy that keeps the city running. Without a humanitarian plan, the infrastructure will collapse.' In Palam Vihar, residents say several migrants have approached them for help. 'They're being targeted for their identity,' said one resident. 'Even those with ration cards and Aadhaar are being treated like criminals. This is inhuman.' Rahul Khera, a resident of Sector 54, warned that Gurugram is already mid-transition, with four new private agencies recently hired by the MCG. But the ground reality hasn't changed. 'Regardless of who's collecting the waste, it's migrant labour doing the job. They make up 100% of the city's frontline waste workforce,' he said. 'If they leave, this city will shut down.' He acknowledged the need to address illegal immigration but criticised the execution. 'Even immigrants with valid documentation are afraid. This isn't governance—it's fear mongering.' Dr Arpit Jain, deputy commissioner of police (headquarters), said the verification drive was being conducted in strict adherence to the ministry of home affairs (MHA) guidelines, with a focus on suspected illegal immigrants, particularly from Bangladesh. 'Details of any suspect are sent to the home secretary, district magistrate, or deputy commissioner of the concerned state for verification. If the report is negative, we initiate deportation proceedings with help from the central government, after placing the individual in a holding area. If the report confirms Indian citizenship, the person is released,' Jain said. He admitted that even those with Aadhaar and other government-issued documents are being held in temporary detention centres until their credentials are verified by the state. 'We are ensuring that no genuine citizen faces unnecessary harassment,' he said. The police refused to disclose the locations of the four holding centres set up across Gurugram, citing security concerns. They also declined to share the number of individuals currently detained or deported. The crisis has exposed the structural fault lines beneath Gurugram's glass-and-concrete image. While the city advertises itself as a smart urban hub and an investment magnet, its daily functioning hinges on the labour of people it has never formally acknowledged or protected. Unless urgent humanitarian and systemic reforms are undertaken, Gurugram risks not just a sanitation disaster—but a moral reckoning with the unsustainable foundations of its urban promise.
The Hindu
14-07-2025
- The Hindu
Bengali-speaking people from Assam detained in Gurugram by Haryana police, claim residents
The Haryana police have allegedly detained 26 Bengali-speaking people from Assam in Gurugram since Sunday morning on suspicion of being illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, according to eyewitnesses and residents of the area. The residents alleged that 21 men were picked up from Gurugram's Sector 103 on Sunday, while five others were rounded up from the same spot on Monday. The residents claimed that five detainees were released later in the day, and they boarded trains back to their home towns in Assam. However, the remaining 21 men are still in detention, they said. When reached for comment, the Haryana police did not respond. Over the past few days, police in several States, including Odisha, Assam, Haryana, and Delhi, have been accused of illegally detaining Bengali-speaking migrant workers on suspicion of being illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and harassing them. 'Around 11.30 a.m. on Sunday, I saw the 21 men, who work as rag-pickers, being picked up by policemen dressed in civvies,' claimed Anwar Hussain, 45, who lives a block away from the spot in Sector 103 from where the men were allegedly rounded up. 'When the men said that they are Indian citizens, the officers asked for their documents. Before any of them could go back to their rooms to fetch the ID cards, the police bundled them into vans and took them away,' alleged Mr. Hussain, who works as a garbage collector and claims to be from Assam. Another person from the locality, who did not wish to be named, alleged that five more persons were picked up around 9 a.m. on Monday. 'Later in the day, five persons were released by the police. All of them went straight to a railway station in Delhi to board a train for Assam,' the resident said.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
IMD sounds yellow alert in state as rain inundates Ranchi pockets
1 2 Ranchi: A brief spell of rain uprooted several trees in the city and caused water logging in various residential pockets on Wednesday as the Ranchi office of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for eastern parts of Jharkhand, warning of thunderstorms and lightning activities in the next 24 hours Gusty wind uprooted trees in the city's Dibdih area, which fell on a parked four-wheeler. However, no casualties were reported except a few bystanders sustaining minor injuries in the incident. Talking to TOI, Argora police station in-charge Alok Singh, said that police were not informed about any harm caused to any vehicle or individuals. "The uprooted trees were cleared off the road so that vehicular movement would not be disrupted. However, the number of uprooted trees has not been assessed yet." The rain led to waterlogging in Hindpiri, Upper Bazar and Daily Market. Ranchi received 8.2 mm of rainfall till the evening. While Bokaro recorded 16 mm, Latehar recorded 5.5 mm, and Gumla and Jamtara recorded 0.5 mm of rainfall. Anwar Hussain, a resident of Hindpiri, said, "The Ranchi Municipal Corporation does not clean the drains in the area before monsoon, and the residents have to bear the brunt of that every year. The drains also need to be widened so that the pertinent problem of waterlogging can be solved." The rain brought down the mercury level, bringing respite from the rising heat. Ranchi recorded 32.9 degrees Celsius, a drop of 4.3 notches below normal while Jamshedpur recorded 37.6 degrees Celsius.
