Gurgaon MCG Deploys 60 E-Rickshaws to Tackle Waste Collection in Narrow Lanes
The Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) has taken a significant step to address waste management challenges in the city. They have decided to hire sixty electric rickshaws specifically for collecting garbage from narrow residential lanes. These are areas where larger garbage trucks simply cannot enter or operate effectively.
Aiming for Better Doorstep Service
This initiative carries an estimated cost of Rs 82.5 lakh. The primary goal is to ensure reliable doorstep waste collection for all residents, with a particular focus on parts of old Gurgaon. An MCG official explained the plan clearly.
"We are hiring e-rickshaws for doorstep waste collection across the entire city," the official said. "This strategy will help us cover households located in those tight, narrow lanes. We have already started the process to hire these vehicles. Additionally, we plan to add more standard vehicles to our waste collection fleet."
The deployment will be systematic. Fifteen e-rickshaws will operate in each of Gurgaon's four municipal zones.
Addressing a Decline in Swachh Rankings
This move comes at a crucial time. In the latest Swachh Survekshan rankings, Gurgaon's score for door-to-door waste collection dropped significantly. It fell from 85% to just 59%. Officials point to specific reasons for this decline.
They cite the termination of the contract with the previous solid waste management concessionaire. Following that, MCG appointed a private firm for a one-year period to handle doorstep collection. However, residents complained bitterly about irregular and unreliable services from this firm.
Many alleged that the contractor simply outsourced the work to various vendors who were already operating in different parts of the city. This led to inconsistent service quality and coverage.
Broader Efforts and Temporary Measures
MCG is not stopping with e-rickshaws. On January 8, the corporation issued six-month work orders worth Rs 9.6 crore to four different firms. One firm has been assigned to each zone for doorstep waste collection duties.
Under this arrangement, a total of 400 vehicles will be deployed across Gurgaon. The breakdown is 115 vehicles in zone 1, 101 in zone 2, 86 in zone 3, and 98 in zone 4.
These actions follow a period of instability. For the past year and a half, MCG has relied on short-term contracting arrangements. This situation began after the corporation terminated its agreement with Ecogreen in June 2024 due to poor performance.
The private firm engaged as a one-year replacement also failed to meet expectations. This forced MCG into a series of temporary, stopgap measures. Residents report that this period resulted in erratic waste collection services and a steady accumulation of uncollected garbage in several neighborhoods.
Long-Term Planning and Proposals
Looking for a more permanent solution, MCG sought approval for a major plan. As reported, the corporation asked the urban local bodies department to approve appointing one dedicated agency for each zone. This agency would handle door-to-door collection, segregation, and transportation of municipal solid waste.
This plan is based on a revised model request for proposal issued by the department. According to the official proposal, the estimated total cost for this project across all four zones is a substantial Rs 327 crore. MCG sent this proposal on December 22, 2025, and is currently awaiting departmental approval.
The urban local bodies department itself revised the request for proposal for doorstep waste collection in December 2025. This was the fifth revision of the document. The new version introduced an important condition. It states that if MCG opts to issue tenders on a zone-wise basis, no single private firm will be eligible to secure contracts for more than one zone. This aims to prevent monopoly and encourage competition.
The hiring of e-rickshaws represents a targeted, immediate effort to plug a specific gap in Gurgaon's waste management system, while larger, long-term reforms are still in the planning and approval stages.
