Despite spending an average Rs 250 crore annually since 2023 on sanitation, Gurugram continues to battle mountains of garbage, earning it the title ‘kudagram’. The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has identified 230 vulnerable garbage points (VGPs) across the city where waste is dumped daily by residents, contractors and even what officials describe as a “waste mafia”.

Floated new tenders: MCG

Some areas lack civic sense, but in many places it’s collapsed door-to-door collection. We’ve floated new tenders and deputed permanent trollies at key points. This helped keep NH-8 clean, once a major vulnerable garbage point. We aim to reduce the number of points from 230 to 50 in two months. — Pradeep Dahiya, commissioner, municipal corporation, gurugram

1,500 tonnes of waste generated daily

- Gurugram city generates about 1,050 tonnes of domestic waste daily, much of it ending at Bandhwari landfill

- Rs 360 crore earmarked for sanitation in 2025-26

- Key vulnerable garbage points: Sector 46, Dundahera, Kadipur, Pace City, Sector 48, Subhash Chowk, Badshahpur, Kherki Daula, Khandsa, New Palam Vihar, Dhankot, Daultabad

These dumps stretch from villages and urban ghettos to high-end colonies. Sikanderpur, a stone’s throw from Cyber Hub, hosts one of the biggest VGPs, now a hub for stray animals. In Badshahpur, the hub of realty growth, six such points exist, with not just village waste but garbage from nearby high-rises also being dumped. Sector 37, which houses industries and builder townships, has eight VGPs. Other hotspots include Dundahera, Kadipur, Pace City, Sector 48, Subhash Chowk, Kherki Daula, Khandsa, New Palam Vihar, Dhankot and Daultabad.

For many residents, the problem lies in collapsed door-to-door collection. “Owning a house in Gurugram was my dream. But every morning me and my wife argue over who will take the trash out. No one collects it regularly, so we have to dump it at a nearby khatta,” said Pragyay Tiwari, a software engineer in Sector 46.

Congress leader Pankaj Dawar blamed both private contractors and the MCG. “Every second lane is a dumpyard. The MCG says 230 points but our survey shows 500. Even MCG dumps waste and flees. Sadly, we are busy with spot management, not solutions,” he said.

Earlier, VGPs were cleared only after complaints, but now MCG has stationed permanent trollies at several sites and increased patrolling.