The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) missed its June deadline to upgrade and beautify all 14 secondary collection points (SCPs) across the city, with officials citing the delay to the massive waste input.No boundary wall at the MCG secondary garbage collection point on the Southern Peripheral Road. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)The project, announced by the corporation in April this year, included the construction and repair of boundary walls, the installation of sanitation facilities, the paving of internal roads, and overall measures to improve the appearance of the sites.SCPs serve as intermediate waste collection centres where garbage is collected before being transported for processing or disposal.On April 10 this year, HT had reported that multiple SCPs lacked boundary walls, proper flooring and adequate infrastructure. Following this, MCG had announced that all the sites would be upgraded by June.MCG had identified SCP points in Jharsa, Chakarpur, Carterpuri, Chima, Atul Kataria Chowk, Khandsa village, Dahnwapur, Doultabad, Bajghera, Dhankot, Dharampur, Beri Wala Bagh, Kanhai village and Sector 70.“Work has started at two sites in Beri Wala Bagh and Khandsa, but the rest of the project is facing delay because of the continued flow of waste,” sub-divisional officer (SDO) of MCG Manoj Ahlawat told HT.Ahlawat said that contractors are facing issues in construction and repair work due to the continuous inflow of garbage. “The contractors are unable to work, and we have no other points for waste disposal. We are working out a plan on how to start the work on the rest of the sites,” he said.Ahlawat added that MCG might consider clearing one side of the dumping yard to start the project.Every year, the monsoon worsens the sites’ condition, with foul stench and garbage overflowing into the streets. All of these SCPs are located near residential areas, posing health hazards for residents.Concerns over waste handling have also intensified following recent fire incidents at waste facilities. A blaze broke out for a second time on Wednesday evening at the Khandsa site, hardly a week after the site had first caught fire, smokes of which continued for several days. A similar fire was reported at Sector 70 SCP as well last month.The issue has gained significance as four material recovery facilities (MRFs), meant to process and segregate waste, have remained non-functional for over two years due to contractual issues, resulting in dependence on SCPs and direct transportation of waste to the Bandhwari landfill.Locals have also reported at least 30 accidents near the Beri Wala Bagh site. “We have seen garbage vehicles overturning due to mud sludge,” said a local shopkeeper in the area.