Gurgaon: Residents of the new sectors along Dwarka Expressway are up in arms against two construction and demolition (C&D) waste processing plants. On Monday, they wrote to the MCG commissioner seeking withdrawal of the proposal to establish the C&D waste processing plants in sectors 103 and 106, citing that the decision overlooked both planning norms and public health concerns. The residents are demanding that C&D waste facilities be relocated away from housing clusters. They warned that they would escalate the issue if the civic body proceeded without reconsidering the plan. The municipal corporation has planned to set up two C&D waste collection facilities — one in the Babupur area of Sector 106 and another in the Daultabad area of Sector 103. Fencing work has already begun at the proposed site in Sector 106, prompting residents to rally against MCG. At present, there is only one C&D waste processing facility in the city at Basai and it can process 1,200 MT of construction waste daily. Around 1,500 to 2,000 tonnes of C&D waste are generated in the city daily. “We strongly oppose the proposed sites, which fall within residential zones and will severely impact public health, air quality and the overall living environment of thousands of families,” DXP-GDA (Dwarka Expressway Gurugram Development Association) convener Sunny Daultabad said. The residents argued that the proposed locations fell within close proximity of the residential area. In its letter to the MCG, the DXP-GDA said that waste storage or processing facilities are not permissible in residential areas under established urban planning and environmental norms. Residents said thousands of families moved into the new sectors with the expectation of planned infrastructure and a healthy living environment.Residents said they were concerned because of what they saw at the existing C&D processing facility located opposite Sector 102. The site, they alleged, turned into a large, unattended debris heap, generating dust pollution that affected surrounding housing societies. Instead of functioning as a controlled processing unit, they claimed it operated like an open dumping yard with limited monitoring. “MCG assured us that it would be a proper processing plant. Today, it looks like a debris mound,” deputy convener of DXP-GDA (Dwarka Expressway Gurugram Development Association) Sunil Sareen said. An MCG official said, “Where would the construction waste go if residents protest at each of these sites.”
