Gurugram cuts construction-waste pickup charges by more than 85 Percent

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has cut the doorstep collection charge for construction and demolition (C&D) waste from small-scale generators, including residents, from ₹360 to ₹50 per tonne in a move aimed at reducing illegal dumping across the city.

The decision was approved at an MCG House meeting on Friday. The civic body has also introduced a dedicated online portal through which residents can request C&D waste collection.

The Times of India reported that the revised rate applies to non-bulk waste generators. Bulk waste generators will continue to pay ₹360 per tonne.

The reduction comes amid widespread complaints that construction debris is being dumped on roads and at unauthorised locations even after residents pay contractors to remove it. The Indian Express reported that the fee cut is intended to encourage residents to use authorised disposal channels and address the city's growing C&D waste problem.

How the new system works

Residents seeking collection will have to submit their details through the MCG's C&D Waste Management Portal, pay the prescribed fee and generate a challan. The civic body plans to use registered local transporters to collect the waste.

According to the Times of India, the Basai processing plant has been instructed to respond to pickup requests within 48 hours. The challan generated after a request is submitted, however, remains valid for 24 hours.

MCG currently has 12 C&D waste collection points in the city, with additional points planned, according to the report.

The civic body's move also comes as Gurugram deals with broader waste-management problems. A separate Times of India report said a 37-day sanitation workers' strike ended on Friday, with workers expected to return to duty from Saturday.

The capacity problem

Lowering the collection fee could make authorised disposal more attractive, but the system will still depend on the city's ability to collect and process the additional waste.

The Basai plant is currently authorised to process 300 metric tonnes of C&D waste a day, according to the Times of India. MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya said proposals to increase that capacity had been sent to the urban local bodies department and were awaiting approval.

The scale of the waste stream is already substantial. Over the previous year, 7.9 lakh metric tonnes of C&D waste was dumped at the Basai plant, according to figures cited by the Times of India. Of this, 3.9 lakh metric tonnes came from bulk generators and about 4 lakh metric tonnes from non-bulk generators.

The fee cut is therefore more than a pricing change. It is an attempt to make formal disposal cheap enough and accessible enough that residents have less reason to rely on informal collection arrangements.

Whether that translates into less roadside dumping will depend on collection capacity, enforcement and how effectively residents and transporters use the new system.

Sources https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/doorstep-pickup-rate-of-construction-waste-slashed-to-rs-50-a-tonne/articleshow/134087488.cms

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/gurgaon-mcg-slashes-construction-waste-fee-sanitation-strike-called-off-10875446/