After months of mounting waste management issues plaguing Gurugram, officials have announced a new initiative in an effort to stem the problem. The Haryana government declared a “solid waste exigency” for the city, outlining a series of steps under a program dubbed SWEEP.
SWEEP stands for Solid Waste Environment Exigency Program and has been established to overhaul Gurugram's waste handling. A high-level committee will oversee implementing a three-pronged system for collection, segregation, transport, processing and disposal of trash across the city's 35 wards.
This comes on the back of the ongoing waste crisis reaching serious heights. With over 12 lakh metric tonnes of accumulated garbage, including debris, residents have grown frustrated by piles of trash left uncollected. The move aims to comply with recent court rulings emphasizing waste management as a fundamental right.
Chaired by the Chief Secretary, the executive committee hopes SWEEP can swiftly address the pressing issues through coordinated efforts of local authorities. If successful, it could set Gurugram on the path to sustainable waste handling and help lift the “Kuragram” stigma plaguing the image of Haryana's largest economic hub. Only time will tell if this new emergency plan can finally stem the trash troubles.
