Despite allocating and spending hundreds of crores of rupees, the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) continues to grapple with a severe and visible waste management crisis, leaving residents frustrated and questioning the efficacy of its sanitation drive.
Budget Exhausted, Garbage Mounts
Official data reveals a stark disconnect between expenditure and on-ground cleanliness. By October 31, the MCG had already spent Rs 129 crore, which accounts for a significant 33% of its total sanitation budget for the current financial year. This substantial spending, however, has failed to prevent the accumulation of garbage on roads and vacant plots across several city areas.
The problem is not new. A fresh MCG report indicates that the civic body overshot its sanitation budget in the previous financial year (2024-25) as well, spending Rs 360 crore against an allocation of Rs 350 crore, a 103% utilization.
Where is the Money Going?
An MCG official outlined the primary components of the sanitation expenses. These include costs for tractor trolleys and other vehicles used in waste management, along with door-to-door waste collection, transportation, and processing.
The breakdown of current fiscal year spending is telling:
- Over Rs 54 crore spent on doorstep waste collection, transport, and processing (from an allocation of over Rs 310 crore).
- Over Rs 16 crore spent on hiring vehicles/tractors/trolleys, exceeding the budgetary allocation of Rs 12 crore.
- Over Rs 16 crore spent under "other sanitation & solid waste management" against a mere Rs 1 crore allocation since April 1.
- Over Rs 28 crore spent on operations and maintenance of sewage treatment plants (STPs) and related systems.
Meanwhile, critical infrastructure remains dysfunctional. Waste processing at the Bandhwari plant has come to a halt, and the city still lacks a dedicated firm for systematic door-to-door garbage collection.
Residents Voice Anger and Frustration
The glaring mismatch between escalating costs and deteriorating conditions has drawn sharp criticism from citizens and resident welfare associations.
Chaitali Mandhotra, co-convener of United Gurugram RWA, pointedly asked, "When MCG is spending money in crores on sanitation, where is that result visible on the ground?" She cited specific grievances, noting three locations outside Ardee City where waste dumps are not lifted and alleging that no MCG sanitation staff has visited her colony since April 16, forcing the RWA to use its own funds for cleaning.
Kundan Lal Sharma, a resident and former cabinet secretariat officer, highlighted ongoing issues. "Doorstep waste collection remains a weak point of MCG... Fresh waste is being dumped on the roads in Mullahera and between sectors 22 and 23. The clean-up happens once a week, so MCG still has to step up its enforcement to check illegal dumping," he stated.
Mandhotra further accused the MCG of being a "typical political organisation, which is just maintaining its image on social media by glorifying its cleanliness work."
The report also highlighted spending in other civic areas, noting that Rs 1.6 crore (40% of the allocation) has already been spent on storm-water drain maintenance this year, following an 80% budget utilization last year.
The situation presents a clear challenge for Gurgaon's municipal governance: translating substantial financial allocations into tangible, clean outcomes for its residents. The continued piles of garbage stand as a visible testament to a system that, despite high expenditure, remains fragmented and inefficient.
