Ecogreen, the solid waste management concessionaire for Gurgaon and Faridabad, has written to MCG Commissioner PC Meena requesting the release of Rs 58.9 crore in pending payments. According to Ecogreen, if the payment is not made, they will cease door-to-door waste collection and transportation services from next week. The company claims that MCG has not yet paid them the full amount owed from November 2022 to March 2023 and has also withheld Rs 32 crore from previous payments.
Ecogreen has cited financial difficulties and rising fuel costs, with a monthly expenditure of nearly Rs 1 crore, as reasons for its decision to halt operations. Despite several complaints raised with MCG officials, Ecogreen claims that its concerns have been ignored.
MCG officials, on the other hand, have denied the allegations, stating that they have been making payments as per their agreement with Ecogreen. They clarified that the tipping fee of Rs 1,000 per tonne was only applicable if Ecogreen had started the waste-to-energy plant on time, which they failed to do. Therefore, MCG is only paying Rs 333 per tonne, and the decision on the commercial operation date for the solid waste management project is still pending.
MCG officials have assured the public that alternative arrangements will be made if waste collection services are disrupted from next week. The civic body has also requested recommendations from the urban local bodies department to explore the possibility of engaging a new agency for solid waste management in the city.