Union minister for housing and urban affairs Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday directed officials to develop a zone-wise waste collection system and maintain detailed records of garbage collection vehicles, including the number of households covered and the quantity of waste transported to secondary collection points.Union minion Manohar Lal Khattar inspects the Bandhwari landfill on Friday. (facebook/manoharlalKhattar)The directions were issued at a meeting with Gurugram mayor Raj Rani Malhotra, Municipal Corporation Gurugram (MCG) commissioner Pradeep Dahiya and councillors. The meeting focused on improving sanitation, waste management, civic infrastructure and resource requirements for the rapidly expanding city.The minister stressed the need for coordinated action among the district administration, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA), police and the MCG to improve urban services.“Cleanliness and effective waste management are critical for a city like Gurugram. There can be no laxity in these areas. All departments must work in coordination and deliver visible results on the ground,” Khattar said.One of the key issues raised during the meeting was the shortage of sanitation workers in the city. Mayor Raj Rani Malhotra informed the minister that Gurugram’s growing population and expanding urban footprint have placed additional pressure on civic services.She said the city requires around 2,800 additional sanitation workers to maintain cleanliness standards and requested early approval for strengthening the workforce.The minister also directed the MCG to introduce a ranking system for sanitation and waste collection agencies operating in Gurugram. “The performance of agencies should be reviewed regularly and efficient agencies should be encouraged. Action should be taken against those failing to meet expected standards,” he said.Officials said the proposed system is expected to improve accountability and provide better oversight of waste management operations across different parts of the city.Khattar further emphasised the need to install adequate dustbins at public places, markets and major roads across the city. “Providing residents with accessible waste disposal facilities is an essential component of maintaining urban cleanliness,” the minister said.During the meeting, councillors said the recent increase in the number of assistant sanitation inspectors had led to improvements in cleanliness monitoring. They suggested assigning sanitation workers area-wise responsibilities to further strengthen accountability and supervision.The meeting was also attended by deputy commissioner Uttam Singh, police commissioner Shibas Kaviraj, additional municipal commissioner Ravindra Yadav, councillors and senior administrative officials.