Gurgaon: MCG and a private agency are in a war of words.The approval allowing processing of 1,200 tonnes of construction and demolition (C&D) waste per day at the Basai facility expired on Monday, triggering uncertainty over how the city will manage the massive quantities of debris generated every day.Construction debris is routinely generated from demolition, road works, building construction and renovation activity across the city.MCG commissioner told TOI that the private operator would be asked to continue processing C&D waste at the enhanced capacity of 1,200 tonnes per day (TPD).However, representatives of the firm have taken a contrary position, making it clear that they will not operate at the enhanced capacity without a formal written approval from state govt.According to the firm, it will continue to collect and process only 300 TPD until state govt formally approves the increased capacity of 1,200 TPD.The dispute assumes significance because the city generates more than 1,500 tonnes of C&D waste every day.With the operator now indicating that it will process only a fraction of this volume, a substantial quantity of debris could be left without a designated processing route. The immediate concern is where the unprocessed waste will go.If the processing capacity falls from the approved 1,200 TPD to just 300 TPD, the gap between generation and processing could rapidly translate into piles of debris on roadsides, vacant plots and other unauthorised locations, said residents.While the civic body maintains that processing at the higher capacity should continue, the private operator insists that it cannot do so without state govt’s written sanction.MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya said, “We have already sent the proposal to the ULB department to approve C&D waste processing capacity of 1,500 TPD and are awaiting its approval. Meanwhile, we will ask the agency to continue operating at enhanced capacity since we will get post facto approval.”However, Dinesh Kumar, representative of the private firm operating the Basai facility, said, “We processed 1,200 TPD of C&D waste in FY 2022-23, of which we have not received the payment till now. So, we won’t process 1,200 TPD on the basis of post facto approval. It is because after one commissioner’s transfer, the other commissioner may not release payment of such arrangements.”In effect, the city is caught between an expired approval and an unresolved bureaucratic process, with neither side appearing willing to take responsibility for the capacity gap.Environmental activist Vaishali Rana told TOI, “The numbers underline the scale of the problem. Against daily generation of over 1,500 tonnes, even the earlier 1,200-TPD processing capacity was insufficient to handle the entire load. With the operator now restricting operations to 300 TPD, the potential shortfall could exceed 1,200 tonnes every day, unless additional arrangements are made. That means thousands of tonnes of construction debris could accumulate within days if the impasse is not resolved.”The development comes at a particularly sensitive time for the city, where civic authorities are already under pressure over the city’s broader waste-management crisis.The prospect of a parallel C&D waste crisis adds another layer to the corporation’s mounting sanitation and environmental challenges.
