Manesar Residents Protest Against Hiring of Gurgaon’s Waste Management Agencies

Gurgaon, Haryana: Residents of Manesar have raised strong objections to the municipal corporation of Manesar’s (MCM) plan to hire the same agencies currently managing bulk waste in Gurgaon. Citing the inefficiencies observed in Gurgaon’s waste management over the past few weeks, the residents fear a similar situation could unfold in their city.

In a letter addressed to the municipal commissioner Ashok Kumar Garg, various Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) have expressed concerns over the deteriorating state of waste collection in Gurgaon, which led to the declaration of a solid waste emergency on June 12. The residents pointed to the failure of private agencies in effectively managing waste, a situation that has worsened in Gurgaon recently.

Praveen Malik, representing the united association of New Gurugram, voiced the collective apprehensions: “The corporation recently issued a public notice mentioning that they will hire agencies for managing BWGs. However, we don’t want the MCM to hire the agencies working in Gurgaon. The residents do not want heaps of waste accumulating in every corner of Manesar too. We have written to the MCM specifying this.”

Responding to the concerns, MCG additional commissioner Jitender Kumar emphasized the importance of Bulk Waste Generators (BWGs) such as condominiums and residential societies managing their waste independently. He assured that the residents’ requests would be taken into consideration as the process of finalizing agencies progresses.

BWGs are required to separate waste into dry, wet, and hazardous categories and manage it independently. While wet waste can be composted or used to generate biogas, dry waste is sent to recycling facilities. The solid waste management (SWM) rules, 2016, mandate that BWGs should have a composting plant to process wet waste and recycle dry waste.

Recently, the municipal corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) de-empanelled seven private agencies hired for bulk waste processing due to non-compliance with the SWM Rules, 2016. These agencies were found dumping wet waste on roads, secondary waste collection points, and roadsides, exacerbating the waste management crisis in Gurgaon.

The residents of Manesar, fearing a repeat of these issues, are adamant about not allowing the same agencies to operate in their city. The protest reflects a growing demand for better waste management practices and accountability from the municipal authorities.