The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has commenced a significant urban beautification project worth Rs 3.1 crore. The initiative focuses on renovating and upgrading the green belts situated close to Madhav Bhawan in Sector 12, a building that currently houses the office of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
Project Details and Official Stance
The civic body formally began the tender process on January 2 to select a private agency that will execute the renovation work. According to the official timeline, the entire project is slated for completion within a period of eight months.
MCG officials have described this project as a routine part of the city's broader urban infrastructure development plan. They clarified that the proposal was prepared following instructions from Gurgaon MLA Mukesh Sharma. Addressing inevitable questions about the project's location near the RSS office, an MCG official strongly denied any partiality.
"The work is not intended to benefit any specific organisation," the official stated. "We have a limited number of green belts under our jurisdiction, with most being managed by the GMDA. Renovation projects are planned for other MCG green belts as well. We have also made proposals for park beautification, so this is not favouring any single entity."
Budgetary Allocation and Financial Context
The project aligns with an increased budgetary focus on green spaces. The MCG has raised the allocation for parks, grounds, and green belts from Rs 20 crore in the 2024-25 fiscal to Rs 26 crore in the current financial year. Notably, the corporation had spent Rs 25.9 crore last year against an allocated Rs 20 crore, indicating higher expenditure in this area.
Additionally, a separate budget of Rs 8 crore has been earmarked for environmental works, forests, and ecology. This marks a decrease from the Rs 10 crore allocated under the same head in the previous year.
Resident and Environmentalist Backlash
Despite the official explanations, the project has faced criticism from local residents and environmental activists. The primary concern is one of misplaced priorities, especially during the region's peak pollution season.
Chaitali Mandhotra, a resident of Ardee City, pointed out existing issues with green belt management. "The green belt outside Ardee Mall is under GMDA's jurisdiction. However, MCG authorised and gave licences to street vendors to encroach upon it," she said. "There are many such encroached green belts that should be restored first. Instead, MCG is launching new projects and not focusing on what's crucial during severe pollution. They are wasting funds that should be used for pollution control measures."
Environmentalist Vaishali Rana echoed these sentiments, urging the civic body to shift its focus. "MCG should currently concentrate on adopting dust control measures rather than taking up beautification projects," Rana asserted. She also highlighted a practical flaw in many such renovations: "Moreover, green belts are often renovated by fencing them, which leaves no space for pedestrians to walk."
The controversy underscores the ongoing tension between urban beautification efforts and pressing environmental health concerns in Gurgaon. While the MCG pushes forward with its infrastructure plans, a section of the citizenry demands more immediate action against the city's chronic air pollution crisis.
