Gurugram Divisional Commissioner orders fines, FIRs for open trash dumping

The Divisional Commissioner of Gurugram, RC Bidhan, has directed municipal and police authorities to impose fines and file FIRs against individuals caught dumping garbage in open spaces. The move comes after a review of sanitation efforts under the Solid Waste Environment Exigency Programme (SWEEP), implemented in June under Section 22 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.

Key Points

• Fines, FIRs: Action against open garbage dumping in Gurugram.
• SWEEP: Part of ongoing sanitation efforts under the Disaster Management Act.
• CCTV surveillance: Cameras to identify and penalise offenders.
• Incentives: Rs 1 crore for wards with two months of cleanliness.

Bidhan said despite the appointment of HCS officers as nodal officers in each of the city’s 35 wards, reports indicated continued open dumping by some residents and unauthorised garbage collectors in public areas, including roadsides, parking lots and vacant plots. He emphasised the need for CCTV cameras at these hotspots to identify and punish offenders.

MCG Commissioner Ashok Kumar Garg said garbage trolleys had been placed at vulnerable points, adding that “swachhata” teams were emptying them daily. However, issues persist, as many people are still discarding waste on the ground instead of using the trolleys.

Bidhan called for the formation of joint teams consisting of MCG Joint Commissioners and police Assistant Commissioners to take strict action against offenders. These teams would also target garbage vehicles coming from Delhi and those dumping waste at public sites, including bulk waste collection vehicles. The traffic police have been instructed to assist in monitoring such vehicles.

Incentivising cleanliness, Bidhan suggested wards maintaining cleanliness for two months should be allocated Rs 1 crore for development projects. He also announced plans to visit wards 1 and 2, ensuring they are completely clean by Monday.

The Commissioner urged a boost in door-to-door garbage collection vehicles and called for more oversight of the waste management system, including increasing personnel at garbage collection points and expediting the removal of Construction & Demolition (C&D) waste.