Once celebrated as the Jungle Road for its Aravalli greenery and wildlife the Gurugram-Faridabad road now bears a grim identity ‘Malba Lane’. Hillocks of construction and demolition (C&D) waste have replaced the natural landscape turning what was once a scenic corridor into a dumping ground.
According to estimates, Gurugram is currently burdened with nearly six lakh metric tonnes of legacy debris, with an additional 2,000 tonnes generated daily. Barely 15% of this is treated. The absence of a regulated pickup system and the rise of an organised ‘malba mafia’ have worsened the crisis, earning the city the mocking tag of ‘Malba Gram’.
Aravallis under threat
Activists warn that unchecked dumping is choking the fragile Aravalli ecosystem. “We have been raising alarms for years, but nobody acted. Waste mafia trucks unload debris every day and authorities fail to stop them. The jungle is dying,” said Jatinder Bhadana of Save Aravalli Trust.
Beyond the Gurugram-Faridabad stretch, areas like Ghata, Sector 29, Saraswati Kunj, Golf Course Road Extension and the Southern Peripheral Road have also become dumping hotspots. Sector 29 alone holds nearly three lakh metric tonnes of waste, worsening flooding and air pollution.
Weak enforcement and failed contracts
Ironically, Gurugram was once praised by NITI Aayog in 2020 for effective waste management after the Sector 29 dump was cleared. But the momentum collapsed when the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) suspended its contract with private firm Pragati in 2022, following an RTI complaint. The inquiry remained inconclusive, and no effective system has replaced it since.
Today, Gurugram only processing facility at Basai handles just 300 tonnes per day far short of the requirement. MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya admitted the challenge but promised action. “We are roping in contractors for pickups and increasing treatment capacity. Our target is to clear the city in about three months,” he said.
Residents however are resisting MCG plan to set up new processing and dumping sites. Of the five identified locations, four have faced opposition from locals.
For now, Gurugram roads and forests remain dotted with debris mounds a stark reminder of poor enforcement, failed contracts, and a mafia that thrives in the vacuum.