MCG to launch app to provide real-time info on waste collection in Gurugram

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) plans to launch an app in August to provide residents with real-time information about waste collection services, people familiar with the matter said on Wednesday. The app will be developed by a private firm, they added.

MCG has asked a research team from a private university in Gurugram to identify what features to put in the app to increase efficiency and transparency in waste management across, streamline door-to-door waste collection, and address persistent issues. The team is expected to submit its findings within 15 days, which will be reviewed, and possibly modified before the app is finalised.

“The new app will allow residents to track the live location of waste collection vehicles, and provide updates on expected arrival times, and the vehicles’ proximity to their homes. Additionally, the app will offer details about the driver and helper for each vehicle,” said MCG joint commissioner Naresh Kumar.

MCG previously launched a cleanliness app called Swachh Map in October 2016. In this app, residents of any area where waste was not collected or sanitation was not done could click a photograph of the area, and the civic body would have to resolve the complaint within a specific period. While the app was initially popular with residents, interest gradually waned because of poor response and resolution issues. In 2018, HT reported that several places in Gurugram that were marked as clean by the MCG’s Swachh Map app were found to be littered with garbage after spot checks. Officials said that in the past year, the app was hardly used by residents.

Features in the new app

Kumar said that the app will be user-friendly and packed with features. “Residents will be able to create accounts using their property IDs and receive detailed information about the waste collection schedule and vehicle routes,” he said.

The app will also send alerts to MCG officials if a vehicle deviates from its assigned route, which will enhance the accountability process, officials said. Scheduled collection times will be from morning to afternoon, with designated stop points and targets for the number of houses serviced daily. The system will also monitor vehicle tyre pressure and record the amount of waste dumped at disposal stations, said officials.

Aside from real-time tracking, the app will enable residents to lodge complaints directly, eliminating the need to visit the MCG office. “If waste is not collected from a house, residents can file a complaint through the app, and officials will investigate by checking the vehicle’s location history,” said Kumar.

Waste management remains an ongoing problem in Gurugram, with MCG receiving on average more than 300 daily complaints about uncollected waste. Previous monitoring systems such as barcodes for vehicle tracking have failed to address the issues effectively. The new app aims to overcome these shortcomings and ensure more reliable waste management in Gurugram, said officials.