Recurring fire incidents raise concern over poor waste management in Gurugram
For the past couple of weeks, fire incidents related to the burning of horticulture waste and garbage are recurring in many areas of Gurugram that have undoubtedly contributed to air pollution.
Locals allege that these fire incidents are often exacerbated by the lack of proper waste management and poor enforcement of the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
On Friday, a fire incident in horticulture waste was reported in an open space in the Sector 29 area in-between the Huda metro station and the Iffco metro station. It took more than 40 minutes for the fire tenders to douse the blaze. However, no action has been initiated by the Municipal Corporation, Gurugram (MCG), to ascertain the exact cause of the fire — whether it was natural or triggered by someone else.
Dinesh Chalia, an activist of the Sector 41 RWA, said a fire incident occurred on Friday in the horticulture waste adjacent to a park in the Sector 41 area developed by erstwhile Haryana Urban Development Authority. A car was damaged in the fire, he said.
The RWA activist alleged, “We had requested officials of the MCG’s Horticulture and Sanitary wings multiple times to clear the horticulture waste. A request to the MCG Commissioner was also sent on March 23, with repeated follow-ups, but no one turned up to clear the waste, which ultimately led to the fire incident.”
Payal Chauhan, a woman activist of the Sector 30 RWA, said she had written a letter to the MCG Commissioner this week, demanding to clean the green belts of her sector.
She said a massive fire broke out recently in the green belt along the main road of Sector 30, adjacent to Jalvayu Vihar Colony. The primary reason for the fire appeared to have been the accumulation of dry leaves and lack of regular cleaning and maintenance in the area.
“Thanks to the timely intervention and collective efforts of the residents of our society, the fire was brought under control before it could cause major damage,” she said.
In the past couple of weeks, such fire incidents have also been reported outside the gate number 1 of Ardee City, a vacant plot reserved for motor market in sectors 10, 31, 85 and 90 and the Udyog Vihar area in the city.
Ashok Kumar, secretary of the RWA of Jal Vihar, Sector 46, said, “The Millenium City is facing serious environmental issues. The MCG has become a mute spectator. Officials are encouraging violators by not taking appropriate action against those, who burn horticulture waste and garbage.”
Delhi