Gurugram MC starts clearing waste dumped in Aravallis
Sumedha Sharma
Tribune News Service
Gurugram, June 12
The Municipal Corporation (MC) has finally started lifting tonnes of construction waste dumped illegally in the Aravalli forest over the years. Since March 22, it has cleared 75 dumping sites; areas such as IFFCO Chowk and NH-48 have been cleared.
The MC has hired an agency for the drive. Municipal Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh launched the drive when the construction activities are at minimal in view of the Covid-induced restrictions.
As per norms, building contractors are liable to collect and dispose of the debris, but a majority of them choose to dump it in the Aravallis. The MC has been issuing challans to contractors, but to no avail.
According to some surveys, the debris covers more than 30 per cent of the forest between Gurugram and Faridabad. It is one of the reasons for the degradation of the environment. The dust from the construction waste has been identified as the biggest contributor to smog in the city.
With the air quality index (AQI) hovering between poor and high-risk category for several months, the authorities would ban construction for a few days. But that was never enough to improve the situation.
Joint Commissioner Inderjeet Kulharia, nodal officer of the drive, said, “The MC cracked down on the transport network of tractors and dumpers, which dumped the waste. The vehicles were painted in a way that these resembled MC’s. We have also issued challans to authorities such as the NHAI for dumping the waste.”
Environmentalist Jatinder Bhadana said, “The forest on the Gurugram-Faridabad road has been turned into a dumping yard that has stalled the natural replenishment of the flora and fauna. The forest is dying under debris. If it isn’t stopped, Aravalli forest will be a thing of the past.”
